Kris Vango - Kronos Aquarius iii: Sage (Saturn)

 

Released: March 27

At first glance, this latest album from Kris Vango looks like a rather straightforward new age meditation type of release. And while there are some of those elements at play here, even then briefest listen reveals that there is so much more going on across its six spacey tracks. This album actually comes as the third installment in a series, the first two of which cover related themes on the nature of knowledge itself, but this final installment is all about actually knowing. It starts off very deep in the ambient and meditative territory with "An Ancient Organ," a shorter piece defined by long flowing pads and a rather airily textured vocal that sings out. It comes across as simple, but as the album progresses it becomes apparent that this is simply an introductory piece. The next four tracks center around certain frequencies that are alleged to be of a healing nature. You can come to your own conclusions about these ideas, but I will not be focusing on this aspect. 

The first of these tracks, "The Law of Contraction (369Hz)," is another seemingly introductory piece. However, as it proceeds the textures at play become more and more intricate with running trills and soft backgrounds that dance around each other. The interplay of sounds is fascinating and somewhat busy, yet the track as a whole remains incredibly calm despite all of these elements. The next two tracks hearken back to our introduction with purely atmospheric tones that envelope the listener in deep waves of sound, both lower and higher in frequency. Then comes the fourth of these tracks, "Astral Projection (63HZ)," which leans into deep frequencies. When it first began, I could have sworn I was hearing the sound of a didgeridoo ringing in my ears. I'm still not certain I wasn't, but the sub bass frequencies at play are rather hypnotic nonetheless and the addition of somewhat tribal-sounding vocals is enrapturing. 

Overall, the path this album takes is one that encompasses some surprising elements. Based purely on the song titles, I feared that I may be in form something a bit cliche and uninteresting. But the variety in the pieces was surprisingly vast. It was quite a relaxing ride, but not so plain as to make me lose interest. I highly recommend giving this album a thorough listen, preferably with eyes closed and maybe an incense stick or two.