"A sci-fi chemistry of vapours the Boston, Massachusetts electronic outfit Violet Nox once more entrance with a futuristic new age album of psy-trance, cerebral techno and acid ethereal-voiced self-realization/self-discovery. Wired into the “now” however, messages of self-love and inclusiveness waft and drift 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 the near mystical, wispy and lightly dub-y ‘Loki’, a past life as some Egyptian wraith – yes, I get that the title would favour something more Nordic in atmosphere and theme, but this regression into an old incarnation sounds more like a oboe trippy hallucination of Egyptology.
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 they keep 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.
The opening magnesium cooking vapoured and ached ‘Ascent’ evokes elements of Musicology, The Higher Intelligence Agency and Jarré; a lost trance-y peregrination from the early Warp label files. The more ominous, leviathan shadowed drama in granular cyberspace, ‘Chaos’, reminded me more of Harthouse, even Kraftwerk (those mesh-sizzled compressed drum pads especially), and the light note arpeggiator cascading and floated gauzy ‘Senzor’ sounds like a mix of Sven Vath and Vangelis’ Blade runner score.
Whether it’s journeying into the subconscious or leaving for celestial rendezvous’, Violet Nox turn the vaporous into an electronic art form that’s simultaneously yearning and mysterious. Fizzing with techy sophistication and escapism, the American electronic group continue to map out a fresh sonic universe."
~ Dominic Valvona
monolithcocktail.com/2023/09/01/our-daily-bread-590-violet-noxvortex-and-voices-droneroom-the-best-of-my-love/
released September 15, 2023
Andrew Abrahamson: synthesis, samples and clocked machines
Dez DeCarlo: synth, effect pedals, vocal samples on Senzor
Noell Dorsey: vocals
Alexis Desjardins: synth on Senzor
Engineered by Andrew Abrahamson
Mixed by Andrew Abrahamson and Dez DeCarlo
Mastered by Andrew Abrahamson
All music written and arranged by Dez DeCarlo and Andrew Abrahamson
Lyrics and vocal arrangements by Noell Dorsey on Ascent, Varda
Chaos, Loki, Verena and Senzor
Song titles for Ascent and Chaos inspired by Callie Chapman