CD, DiN, 2011
www.din.org.uk/din/node/386
Ian Boddy and his DiN label return with a new release in typical fine contemporary electronic approach, as usual aiming to release material that lies between the analogue sound of the early ’70s synth pioneers and the digital soundscapes of the more experimental modern exponents of electronic music. Once again DiN has adopted the limited edition strategy and released a collectible record restricted to 600 copies.
“Exit Strategy” is a joint venture between Ian Boddy and Bakis Sirros, a.k.a. Parallel Worlds, which unveils a new series of synthetic landscapes, from time to time heavenly or ghostly, and perhaps experimentally strange, but that surely could illustrate a postcard from an unknown new world.
Atonal passages throughout never-ending empty caverns, surrounded by almost recognizable, but undeniably odd, embellishments of field recordings, are the indelible imprint that pierces this highly recomended novel tour. From a set of sounds apparently emotionally devoid, Boddy and Sirros create a looming tension and an expressive aural eloquence that delights the listener and leaves him in suspense in expectancy of each new pattern.
The listener can expect a well-nourished collection of theremin-fostered atmospheres, mechanically-chained industrial percussion sequences, obsessive portamentos on analog synth gear, stringed glissandos and shiny pad sweeps, as well as creepy but not too gloomy dark atmospheres.
It is hard to highlight any of the tracks from this album; ranging from the intense darkness of “Portal” to the radiance of “Exit Strategy”, or the harmonic serenity of “Soliloquy” through the cinematic skilled “Impresario”, or the mind’s travel guide of “Entwined” and the vibrant peaceful of “Hidden”, and ending in a dramatic final title, “Return”, this is a uniquely amazing experience of auditory pleasure, especially for those who are synth fetishists.
[9/10]
— Nelson B.