Despite having made favourable first impressions as part of R-Tem and Kooqla, Russian-born producer Artem Kharchenko's first LP under the Tyoma moniker, Live on Mars Records' Mirror, is the first full release of what the producer refers to as his "new sound."
The sound in question here is a mix of synthetic and orchestral elements that is initially appealing, but which, unfortunately, wears thin over time. Kharchenko is a talented producer, with some interesting ideas regarding pacing and thematic development for instance, but in terms of tone the album is one-dimensional, fully committing to a mood of midtempo, po-faced aggressiveness; it's the kind of music you might choose for a montage of action heroes walking away from explosions.
Previously released single "Unclose" remains the highlight here, its stern forward march not unlike Rob Dougan's "Clubbed to Death," a track most of us remember from the credits of The Matrix. It's not a bad template, but Mirror too often sounds like endless variations of it without any truly memorable contributions.
That's not to suggest that Kharchenko doesn't do what he does well; like Dougan, his music has a cinematic sweep to it that's undeniably compelling, and his beats are slick and confident. The issue is that he doesn't use his considerable skills to evoke anything other than a handful of similar emotions. It's all super serious, all the time, and it can be exhausting.
There's potential here, but its realization hinges on Kharchenko expanding his sonic palette. I'm looking forward to it.
(Live on Mars Records)The sound in question here is a mix of synthetic and orchestral elements that is initially appealing, but which, unfortunately, wears thin over time. Kharchenko is a talented producer, with some interesting ideas regarding pacing and thematic development for instance, but in terms of tone the album is one-dimensional, fully committing to a mood of midtempo, po-faced aggressiveness; it's the kind of music you might choose for a montage of action heroes walking away from explosions.
Previously released single "Unclose" remains the highlight here, its stern forward march not unlike Rob Dougan's "Clubbed to Death," a track most of us remember from the credits of The Matrix. It's not a bad template, but Mirror too often sounds like endless variations of it without any truly memorable contributions.
That's not to suggest that Kharchenko doesn't do what he does well; like Dougan, his music has a cinematic sweep to it that's undeniably compelling, and his beats are slick and confident. The issue is that he doesn't use his considerable skills to evoke anything other than a handful of similar emotions. It's all super serious, all the time, and it can be exhausting.
There's potential here, but its realization hinges on Kharchenko expanding his sonic palette. I'm looking forward to it.