Various Artists - Eudoxus

Another year is coming to an end, and it is the right time to take a stock of the latest activity in the field of a special interest which is captured by experimental music. And I am 100% sure that there is no better way to explore all the achievements than with a traditional compilation from the gates of the well-known label hiding behind the name Kalpamantra. If you aren’t familiar with this name thus far, check out its Bandcamp page, because it’s better late than never. Just give it a try and you will be pleasantly surprised by what you will discover that's only a few mouse-clicks away from the artificial borders of your current sphere of interests. 

Hailing from the rainy London, Kalpamantra comforts its listeners with the finest acts of experimental music since 2009 with an impressive pack of different releases. I consider it to be a very serious omission that all of them exist in a digital format only, many of those records could grace a serious muso’s collection including mine. But in any case, it seems that the owner, Steven Williams, is pretty happy with the current state of his business and continues to offer an opportunity for both young and well-established artists to express their ideas in the most creative way. 

One of Kalpamantra’s massive releases was already covered by Brutal Resonance in the past. “The Earthen Siphon” contains a huge set of compositions from the projects which are related to another epic label Malignant Records where Steven fills the position of A&R manager. This compilation has a wide range of different genres represented according to Malignant portfolio, from slow dark ambient tracks to a more extreme and noisy power electronics and death industrial. But the selection which will receive my close attention today, is kept in a quite different atmosphere than the highly acclaimed “The Earthen Siphon”. Having glanced on the track list and the names which are concentrated in almost four hours of Eudoxus, I realized that I have a complete immersion process in front of me. Whether I survive it or not depends only on the intensity of a sonic emission which is transmitted from the depth of the universe right through my advanced headphones. So, wish me good luck, and I will meet you on the other side of a black hole. Or maybe not.

I have to confess that it took me more than one spin of Eudoxus in order to comprehend its whole depth. I cannot truly claim that I remain the same person as I was before this long journey, something definitely happened to my wandering spirit. I am not sure if I need to discuss all of my impressions from this amazing compilation, some of them can be hardly expressed striking a deep chord inside me, raising completely personal feelings which should usually remain personal. But I would like to share some of thoughts which can possibly describe the action that captured me for many hours.

As I have already mentioned, Eudoxus contains 32 tracks of almost four hours running time and presents a clear picture of what modern dark ambient music can offer nowadays. Alongside the names like Vestigal, Arditi, Lamia Vox, Aun, Allseits that managed to prove themselves during the last years and gained popularity through well-known labels, there are less recognizable artists which I was more than happy to discover. The whole multiplicity of the genre emerges through the sounds of Eudoxus. Annihilated dead worlds raise up in the images projected by Kammarheit, Inner Vision Laboratory, Cities Last Broadcast and Vestigal. A softer and more gentle sight can be spotted through 'Dustfall Ascending Infinite' of Aythis in which a gentle female voice floats above a completely sensual and touching melody, or 'Ice Moon' of Northumbria where a floating spirituality is bound inside guitar soundscapes. Girnu Giesmes, Aun, Hymnambulae and Paranoia Inducta show a deep meditative side of highly creative standards, while the bands like Tabor Radosti, Lamia Vox, TeHom and Treha Sektori wrap themselves in a more mysterious and occult scenery. 

As you can now make sure of, this new Kalpamantra compilation offers you a unique possibility to taste from the different sub-genres of dark ambient music in one pack. With all their diversity and differences, the projects present on Eudoxus are united under one banner - activation of the images hidden inside the deepest corners of human soul and mind. It is heartening to see that in the world where mass-consuming music grips even more parts of social culture, there is a place which grants them an exposure and becomes their home of creative self-expression. A truly must-have compilation to close 2016 with.