OUZΩZUO – Stumbling Through The Void
A new project called OUZΩZUO on the dark-ambient, BM, dungeon-synth-focused Greek label called Black Death Industry. A debut beautifully named Stumbling Through The Void. Limited CD-R full-length album in a clear plastic sleeve. First-ever release with this project!
A cool inner sleeve with some cool graphical stickers and extra artsy flyers inside. The whole graphical aesthetic showcases a sort of occult/esoteric cyberspace, a place where the world of the paranormal meets the digital world. Could be. The whole thing contains 15 tracks, about 46 minutes in total.
The first track is called Ouzo As Offering. And what is Ouzo?... It´s a strong Greek alcoholic beverage (50%). Made from rectified spirits through distillation and flavoring. Mystical and heavenly (and slightly) melodic ritualistic drones, a shamanic rhythm/pulse, and some deep moaning monks in some distant underground temple. Sounds very promising so far, not your typical dark-ambient dose.
The second track Alen God Come Devour Us (charming). The track itself is actually more pleasant than the track title suggests! An alien hum floats through the speakers, while the suggestion of angelic voices charms the listener closer. Eerie, looped, and rhythmic sticky sounds clatter in the background. Fans of Rapoon and Deutsche Nepal would love this.
The third track, Run Until The Spirits Follow, is a short, creepy, Lynch-ish track. Sound of something heavy breathing, an alien factory machine sound. The flickering sound of faeries, leading you astray.
The fourth track The Mountain Weeps For The Human Plague. Slowed down human voices down below, and some ethnic vibes/flutes on top. Interesting, again with those... occasional flickering sounds that come from nowhere. Very hypnotic piece here.
The fifth track is called From The Peaks The Alien Watches. Another short track, with distant, strange animal voices and static from the radio. Could be the Migos from Lovecraft's novel The Whisperer in Darkness.
The sixth track, Our Bones Will Feed the Soil Again. A flickering insectoid rhythm, a looped acid-drenched sound... sound of a transmission from another galaxy getting through. A message made out of sounds, not really words.
Humanity as a Disease, being the seventh track, has an almost nostalgic and dreamlike quality, like Boards of Canada! But behind th the blissful sounds, there is a feeling of discontent in the background. With zombie-ish moanings through a primitive shortwave radio, not really finding anyone out there... in the void.
The rest of the album is also good, and I highly recommend that everyone hear the whole album in one go!
Stumbling Through the Void is a very special album. Equally balanced between discomfort and utter bliss. Made in a way to charm us with honey, and inside hides a flesh-eating predator. Or is it the other way around? Looks/feels like a dark, evil album with the album titles and all, but the recordings within the album contain something way more sophisticated. In other words, it´s perfectly balanced. Or it can be represented like a coin with two sides, which gives the listener the option of choice (regarding the listening). Very special blend of moody drone-ambience with ethnic vibes. Can´t wait to hear more from this act!
