Monolith Cocktail Blog

ALBUM REVIEW/VIDEO REVEAL
DOMINIC VALVONA

Photo credit: Sasha Pedro

Violet Nox ‘Hesperia’
(Somehwerecold Records) 1^st October 2024

Building new worlds, futuristic landscapes and intergalactic safe havens, and leaving vapour trails of laconic, hypnotizing new age psy-trance mysticism, a message of self-discovery and of resistance in their wake, Violet Nox once more embrace Gaia, Greek and Buddhist etymology and astrology to voyage beyond earthly realms.

Referencing mythological starry nymphs, a sun god’s charioteer, Agamemnon’s granddaughter and scientific phenomenon as they waft, drift and occasionally pump through veils of ambience, trance, dub, EDM and techno, the Boston, Massachusetts trio (although this core foundation is pliable and has expanded its ranks on previous releases) of synthesists and electronic crafters Dez DeCarlo and Andrew Abrahamson, and airy, searching siren vocalist and caller Noell Dorsey, occupy a dreamy ethereal plane that fits somewhere between Vangelis, Lisa Gerrard, Mythos, Kavinsky, Banco de Gaia and ecological revering dance music.

Feeling even more languid and floaty than usual, album number seven seems more subtle and sophisticated, taking its time, hanging around much longer in those signature vapours. But then there’s the padded kick drum that occasionally drives the beat, and the tightly delayed synthetic ticking rhythms can be more rapid and dance music orientated; especially on both the touchingly voiced, softly metallic whipped and foggy ‘OneSixty’ and the cosmic time-traveller’s club trance and voice-looping ‘Xena’. The latter of which could either be a reference to the famous TV culture warrior princess or the male sibling of Electra in Greek mythology – the etymology could be interchangeable and equally translated as “guest”, “stranger” or “hospitable”. 

As with many of these symbols there’s a theme of either androgyny or feminine guardianship, council or guidance; the title’s starlet, the Greek Hesperia nymph also called Asterope, is known for many things in Greek mythological lore: a daughter of the evening star and golden sunsets, and a guardian of the golden apples. With all those connotations, Violet Nox bends the light towards an inclusive agenda and queer awareness with both misty shushed and stronger, more rousing messages of affirmation.

Violet Nox have expanded their live sets over the years, backdropped by film, visuals, and as part of a response to various museum and art environments. Hesperia feels more like one of those performances; a complete journey, experience and soundtrack to a tubular geometry, a pulsation of possible futurism and feminine-driven cerebral cyber evolution.

As a bonus, so to speak, Violet Nox is sharing their latest video, for the opening track ‘Aruna’, with the Monolith Cocktail’s readers. After already providing visuals for the group’s Nordic mythological ‘Loki’ single at the start of this year (premiered by us at the time, the track originally appeared on their 2023 Vortex And Voices album), Del Siervo now conjures up new kaleidoscopic images for this entrancing number. For those who aren’t familiar with his work, Siervo is a Venezuelan artist and ambient/new age musician living in Argentina, who’s art evolves around myths from different ancient traditions, especially from the Amazon. Siervo works with new technologies to create images that evoke the mysteries of life, the creation and the unseen. 

For more info on the group, links to previous videos and releases and updates, click on here https://linktr.ee/VioletNox