Psyrok is an enigma, and will stay that way for those without access to the Internet and MySpace as the CD and case in front of me doesn't have a single piece of band or contact information; no email, telephone numberor even the names of those involved.
"These silent jungle killers" is a spoken sample which opens a serene, if slightly un-nerving track. A sonic landscape that includes dreamlike piano, theremin like counter point and vocals which just seem to seep in from another plane of existence. The second song on the album, "Soma", reminds me of the music of Future Sound of London with its hypnotic didgeridoo riff and stabs of unsettling noise. "I'm Threw" uses a looping, out of time riff on bass and strings. The vocals have been processed through a vocoder making it sound like Stephen Hawkins is singing the pretty melody. "Viable Commodity" takes us on a dark, uncomfortable journey. With its disconcerting, atonal bass line, teeth-jarring scraped riff and dark flashes from a sampled interview on, what seems to be, the state of the music industry, this is the one bad trip on the CD. This is not a bad track by any means as it shows an ability to work with light and shade. It just seems overtly pessimistic.
I found Psyrok difficult to review. Don't get me wrong, I really like this CD; I just can't pin down why! The songs are quite basic in their construction, yet they have enough depth to stand up to scrutiny. At times dark, with off kilter rhythms, dehumanized electronic bleeps and natural sounds taken out of context and yet, at other times, Psyrok show a sense of humour and quirky charm that is so often lacking in their peers. Taking the best of elements of ambient trance, yet creating something unique, Psyrok blends a truly ethereal cocktail. If this is your poison, drink deep!