X.U.L - VOID - A Story About a Man

X.U.L

VOID - A Story About a Man
self-released; 2019

4.0 out of 5

​By My Nguyen

X.U.L (Gašper Selko) is an electronic artist from Slovenia. Selko uses music as a language. It is a vehicle for him to connect with listeners on different planes of thought from auditory to more esoteric levels. According to his biography, “music is an important part of his life, because everything he listens to, creates and plays is a reflection of himself – from the power of metal, the perfection of classical music, the freedom of jazz and the diversity of folk and ethnic music.” Music isn’t just a mode of expression for him – it is a way of life. X.U.L is releasing a brand-new album entitled VOID – A Story About a Man.

​On this latest release, he combines contemporary thought with classicism tying in his experimental form of music.
 
On the title-track, ambient sounds filter through. Static-y cadences comes in. Industrial-like metal sounds escape through the electronic beats. Glitch-y soundscapes pave through from the beats and synths. Atmospheric cadences seep in. A bit of dissonance wavers through flipping through the recording. The sound then crescendos with effect. A tinkling music box tune arrives at the three-minute hold peppered in with edgy discord, adding a convoluted air to the overall music.
 
Following is “In The Depths Of Mind,” where moody synths arise toward the start of this song, creating a soaring and transcending aerial vibe. Ethereal washes add a sonic discourse to the music. Tinkling chimes trickle in, keeping the music crisp and fresh. The sound of keys sink in, giving off a melancholic and melodic flow. Percussions sizzle in. Acoustic instrumentation is mixed in with electronic beats and synths, creating a healthy melding of organic and electric. The cadence of strings offers up a stirring release. Dramatic sounds underline this track. The piano really picks up and produces a dramatic effect. A warped cadence comes through layered with dissonance.
 
Chilling keys distill a bit of an eerie feel throughout “In Memoriam." The keys reverberate in an echo-y cadence. The synths sound off with an airy appeal. The keys pick up with a more pressing cadence coming from the instrument. The electronic beats come in unwaveringly, adding a fully charged approach. A spoken word performance arrives, evoking a poignant dynamic to the electronic background. Ambient strings trace the gamut of this song.
 
On the closer “For Everything That You Lost,” lush strings weave in with the sounds of electronic beats. Next, the keys join in. The synths go on to pave with an ambient vibe. Ethereal and atmospheric cadences surfaces. A soaring sound comes from the synths. Strings over electro beats create a disconcerting flow. A bit of discord escapes through.
 
The ambient soundscapes that Selko has created delves into elemental questions posed on how to experience music as one entire unit of consciousness. In this experimental project, X.U.L is excited to learn how we could receive music the exact same as everyone else as one body with limitless sensations. I guess this is where the subtitle, “A Story About a Man,” comes in though this is more a story about us and our supposed interconnected awareness that makes us one. What is interesting about VOID is that it attempts to tie all humanity together. Not a small feat in any way, the album does in some ways traverse our differences with its accessibility and fasten our stories in an endless loop of electronic sonic landscapes. An endless loop because you can’t help but listen to these fascinating electro acoustic environments more than once.

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