Geskia - Silent 77 Review

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Hailing from Japan, Geskia surprises the Electronica scene with their debut album Silent 77, released by Flaü. Mixing organic-sounding yet assumed electronica with hip hop and technical breakbeat, Geskia stands among Minotaur Shock, Four Tet, Autechre, cLOUDEAD and Boards of Canada as one of the leading artists in the alternative electronica genre.

Silent 77 starts off slow: dense hip hop beats, permeated with layers of fuzz and experimental sounds in 2Hour/Seahoses and Were Saw. Sound quality and unique sampling, coupled with a high beat-per-minute, post-IDM fizzle is elegant, and would make the experience almost light headed if it weren’t for the heavy kick downtempo, the one that makes your head want to bob on its own.

The over-programmed feeling doesn’t stop in We Are, 3days Trial, and even though every sound is somehow twisted and modified somehow, the beat always sinks in. It gives the album a track to run on, a certain flow. Passages between songs, the transition from happy to sad composition and simple beats to complex never feels contrived, or on purpose even, it’s just one complete masterpiece.

Sampling ranges from piano and vocals in Second Coming, to strings and metallic clicks in Right Lights. Some of the more organic samples repeat, akin to Minotaur Shock, others are based on algorithms in the vein of Autechre, and still others are painstakingly programmed from scratch like Squarepusher. Fall Fall, twelfth on the album, is a perfect example of beauty while in a very complex context of rhythm and dense programming.

As the album comes to a close with heavy hitters Over The Three Rainbows, and Windowpane Stencil, the message becomes apparent, Silent 77 is an album based upon both ambiance and technical prowess. The different layers in the music, some complex, others less, can appeal to all listeners, and the album is worth several listens to try to grasp all of them. The music flies by, uncaring if you caught all the details. However, not concentrating too hard on the music, and letting it travel into lower levels of consciousness is also notably soothing. It’s perfect for any occasion.

Top-notch post-production, worthy of comparison with 4AD releases, certainly gives an extra advantage to Silent 77. Meticulous placement of frequencies, left right stereo shifts for specific samples and sound tinkering are used frequently and simultaneously, all helped by remarkable post-production. Special attention was given to each and every sample, and tracking those minute fluctuations is rewarding, for many sub-melodies and hidden layers of composition can be plucked.

In Endrole, Silent 77's closing track, flutes play in the distance and the experience is dramatically over. Calm and mellow, while solid and rhythmic, Geskia makes music easy and complex at the same time and is highly recommended to all. Get it here.