Our Daily Bread 627: Violet Nox ‘Hesperia’ LP & ‘Aruna’ Video
September 27, 2024
ALBUM REVIEW/VIDEO REVEAL
DOMINIC VALVONA
Photo credit: Sasha Pedro
Violet Nox ‘Hesperia’
(Somehwerecold Records) 1st 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
Our Daily Bread 605: Unveiling of Violet Nox’s ‘Loki’ Video
January 12, 2024
VIDEO/DOMINIC VALVONA
Violet Nox ‘Loki’
Video created by Del Siervo of a track taken from the group’s Vortex And Voices album, released in 2023 by Somewherecold Records.
Enjoying a certain renaissance, thanks to a certain superhero franchise and self-standing series on one of the many streaming service sites, the Nordic mythological figure of Loki is used as both a mirror and symbol for whichever group, generation adopts him/her/them. Because although principally depicted as male, Loki is a fluid entity that changes gender at will. With all that entails, in the sense of analogy and metaphor, Loki is obviously a most useful, congruous – if you forget about all the chaos that ensues with his presence, the tricks and cunning; although in the mythological lexicon, this god is neither good or evil – symbol of the LGBT+ community. Which leads me to the Boston, Massachusetts electronic group Violet Nox, who use Loki as a signifier, andan embodiment of metamorphosis and synergy, for their oboe trippy hallucination of a new age trance-electronic track of the same name – although this wafted and drifted mirage could be mistaken more for something form the new age realms of reincarnated Egyptology.
Taken from last year’s futuristic Vortex And Voices album of psy-trance, cerebral techno and acid ethereal-voiced self-realization/self-discovery – which also made our choice albums lists of that year – ‘Loki’ has inspired a suitably transformative, symbolic video from Del Siervo, 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. And in this capacity, he’s provided a cosmic and exotic earthly visual feast for the eyes of suspended menagerie, unfurled butterflies, flamed exotic fauna, aura pulsation chakras and spirit animals. So cosmic in fact that the group have decided to release the video to coincide with the new moon.
Identifying with myth, Violet Nox are however very much wired into the “now”, with messages of self-love and inclusiveness wafting and drifting to a rhythmic, wavy vision of EDM, crossover rave music and soulful electronica. For this newest venture – their first for the highly prolific and quality North American label Somewherecold Records – features, more than ever, the experimental, often effected, vocals of group member Noell Dorsey: a mix of hippie cooed yearn, Tracey Thorn, Claudia Brücken and Esbe if you will. A siren-in-the-machine, Dorsey expresses dreaminess, sadness and on this near mystical, wispy and lightly dub-y vision.
Often expanding the set-up, apparatus and lineup, this time around the Gaia attuned ensemble consists of core members Dez DeCarlo (on synth/effects pedals), foil Andrew Abrahamson (“synthesis”, sampler and clocked machines) and the already mentioned Dorsey. Musically, sonically both ‘Loki’ and the Vortex And Voices on which it appears keeps up the trance and minimal techno, melodic and kinetic rhythmic signatures, whilst erring towards club-like sung vocals and electronic pop. But it’s a real mix of synthesized influences, cybernetics and cosmic voyages into the internal and external mind.
You can read my previous review in full here…
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