XIU

Partly known and recognised for a handful of live sets played with the Italian synth-pop band Newclear Waves, Oksana Rodionova (Xiu) is back with an intense groovescaping moody synth release published in limited edition on the underground aufnahme + wiedergabe. The musical identity clearly surrounds the compositional schemas substantially developped in the 80s cold minimal wave acts (Linear Movement, Autumn...) Side B provides a bunch of original elements, much more personal than the first side with some exquisite doom-like hypnotish cinematic synthscaping tracks (notably the breathraking "Why we are gone"). A very convinging effort with a couple of mesmerizing dreamlike sensuous pop tendencies, charmingly fragile vocal parts in a darkly atmospheric sensitive mood. A rare sense of goth-melancholy in the aesthetic trajectory. To sum up things, this K7 clearly deserves a listening for nostalgics of the 80s synth-electro pop era but also for listeners of elaborated, glacial and subtly emotional electronic music.

A blast to the past, with a future!

Luck favored XIU, allowing this album to infiltrate through the borderlines of PA. Oksana Rodionova's a.k.a. Xiu, 2012, self named project is closer to the realms of the so called "Synth-Pop", which although neglected in this Prog world, offered in its best period many "gems", maybe obscure for those who only listen to prog by rule.

Yes! Luck favored this very good "dreamy synth/pop" record into this PA page. XIU, if allowed to compare, will be that missing link between the very simple rules of intelligent synth-pop and the ethereal "progressive" atmospheres of Dead Can Dance (mainly Lisa Gerrard's voice passages).

The rating is easy, if you quiet know, what happened in those years, where the synths were used to create long, dreamy, attractive melodic lines, with sometimes nightmarish intentions, and with quiet intoxicating, but basic dance (yes, DANCE!) rhythms, focusing more on the whole environment of the song, with the occasional low-keyed "fireworks" or "hooks" (Ultravox's "Vienna" album, as an example, comes to my mind).

So, this project is basically Oksana Rodionova's subtle, almost invisible voice/chorus, travelling through the synths and beats, to carry on with this whole, slow-paced and somehow short timed effort, which adds up for a sensation of wanting more (the way women usually do).

And everything falls in place and works wonders, due to its very inspired and focused song writing.

****4 PA stars for those mentioned above, and "essential", as such, if you missed the whole party.