Ales Tsurko - Before the Void

​Ales Tsurko

Before the Void
self-released; 2024

By Matt Jensen
​

Ales Tsurko’s Before the Void feels like an album suspended in time—a meditation on change, impermanence, and the fragile beauty of the world. Written during a period that Tsurko describes as being filled with wonder and possibility, it captures a profound shift, a sense of longing for something that has been lost to the uncontrollable tide of transformation.

The album opens with “No. 9,” a composition that drifts weightlessly, evoking the calming, expansive soundscapes of artists like Jon Hopkins. It’s serene yet humbling, pulling the listener into a state of awe. By contrast, “No. 12” introduces a subtle tension with pulsating, arpeggiated synths that ripple across vast sonic terrain. It’s a track that feels ominous, like the distant rumble of a storm just beyond the horizon.

“The Summer Morning in Minsk” emerges as a standout moment, recalling the intricate textures of Fennesz. It’s undeniably beautiful, but there’s an undercurrent of something ancient and elemental, as if the song is channeling the raw, untouchable power of the sun. “Metallic” shifts the tone, feeling almost digital yet impossibly vast, as if humans are mere specks dwarfed by the towering structure it invokes.

On “No. 6,” Tsurko offers a reprieve—a track that feels like floating at cruising altitude, surrounded by serenity. The calm, meditative moments are contrasted by “Odessa, 1978,” a piece that feels alien and otherworldly, reminiscent of the textured nostalgia of Boards of Canada. The album closes with “No. 11,” a track that envelops the listener in an atmospheric whirlwind, every sound molecule swirling like particles in a gust of wind.

Before the Void is an exceptional work, steeped in introspection and wonder. It explores the immensity of forces far beyond our understanding, pointing to something ancient and untouchable. Tsurko’s compositions feel less like music and more like a dialogue with the unknown—a reminder of the fleeting nature of our own existence and the vastness of everything that lies beyond.

alestsurko.by

Tweet