Ecstasphere - Carnival of Catharsis

Though supposed to be joyous and family friendly, carnivals have become a bit of a staple in inducing both horror and fear in the minds of both the young and the old. The mere thought of getting lost inside a wickedly built place where all sorts of spooks and devilish clowns around the corner is terrifying on its own. This is why so many authors, directors, and, in this case, musicians choose the carnival to curate such an ominous aura. Germany based IDM/Rhythmic Noise master Ecstasphere knows this all too well, and she uses the idea of a carnival to explore the subconscious in her new concept album, "Carnival of Catharsis". 

The story follows an unnamed protagonist as they explore the deepest pits of their mind. All around them, however, are threats and dangers waiting to punish them at the slightest mistake as a test. The real question then begs: Will they make it through this journey alive and well, or will they succumb to these darkened ideologies and fall slave to the inner mechanics of their own mind? While that question is never answered and is surely up to interpretation, Ecstasphere is able to tell this story masterfully through her wise electronic techniques and skills. 

Ecstasphere is able to utilize themes of a carnival with her unique blend of rhythmic noise and IDM without making it seem as if she was trying too hard. I've seen the whole carnival/funfair idea used by many, and most people are absolute try hards when it comes to this. After all, the whole freakshow sort of thing has been used time after time after time, so a ton of musicians seem to think that if they just verbally and musically blast out their album with everything and anything that could possibly correlate with the theme will make it amazing. That is not the case with Ecstasphere; she reinvigorates the idea of the Carnival by seamless blends of her unique electronic flair with mysterious and wondrous sounds. 

From the very get go of 'The Carnival Awakens', I got chills as I heard and envisioned this seemingly friendly exposition blossom. Albeit, the wicked background sounds alerted myself that there was something somewhere lurking and waiting to strike. Both 'Passage Dangereux' and 'Creeping Creatures Made Of Fear' are able to further capture the same essence of the first song just with more of a rhythm and the same - if not, more - amount of chills. 

In a "Twilight Zone" like fashion, 'Yes, Sir' made this already odd world even odder. Serving as a bit of a transition point in the album, gone were any sounds from rhythmic noise. Instead ushered in were playful keys and the like. This track, along with its sister tracks, 'Why, Sir?', 'No, Sir!', and 'Farewell, Sir!' all served as interesting breakaways. 

Both the tracks 'The Noose' and 'Illusion Of Delusion' contained brief but stunning vocal performances from Ecstasphere. Her voice is less than human and more like a perfectly tuned instrument. It may be used sparingly, but when it comes out of the closet and dusted off, it creates some of the best and more powerful segments on the album. I love the minimal use, however, as I believe that if it were used heavily, it would take away the essence of Ecstasphere's already head turning music. 

Now, the rest of the tracks that I haven't touched upon each continue forth a grand display of technical mastery and electronic elements. 'Catharsis' is the most staggering track on the album, whose acoustic and classical elements bring out a diverse and intriguing palette of musical bliss. This is the one track on the album that I wholly recommend to everyone who decides to take a listen. Other than that, I say have at it and get listening to this album. 

"Carnival Of Catharsis" is a perfect blend of IDM/Rhythmic Noise that uses its concept of a subconscious exploration through one's mind/carnival in eye-popping musical and aesthetic manners. 
Nov 19 2015