Phraxia

Phraxia by NICK PIKE is an avant garde and bold classical project with some cinematic influences that elevate its sound. I’m thoroughly impressed by this project’s ability to paint soundscapes without using a tonne of different instrumentation or overwhelming the listener with sound. The opening track, Whispertide, opens the project with an ethereal and mysterious tone. It’s a great idea to keep some of the project's cards close to its chest in this opening. This track feels like a psychedelic mix of traditional classic music and filmic scoring. This mix heightens the impact of the track overall as the juxtaposing elements emphasise each other with their contrast.

Sponsored

The wooshes and crashes throughout the track add drama and intensity to an already very exciting song. The classical elements then pull the track back down to earth, creating this beautiful, symbiotic dance that symbolises the tonal core of the project overall. The next track that really stood out to me was Phraxia. It has a more traditional classical sound and feels like Nick Pike flexing his muscles in that direction. The piece feels effervescent and light while also maintaining energy from beginning to end. It meanders through these tonal evolutions. The track also plays with volume in a way that makes it stand out. I think a lot of modern music struggles to trust the listener enough to play with elongated beats of silence or even reduced sound. This song takes that chance and it pays off in spades. It feels symbolic of the uncompromising vision of the project. The track plays with musical motifs in its quieter sections then builds them as the power and energy comes back through the increased intensity. This technique makes an appearance at several other points throughout the song, notably in Vangise where the higher register tone of the track works especially well with the quieter sections. This project’s ability to create work that is both so universal and personal at the same time is impressive.