CONJURE ONE EXILARCH ALBUM NETTWERK RELEASE: NOVEMBER 11, 2010 REVIEW: DECEMBER 7, 2010

Rhys Fulber has been silently working away on his third solo album for quite some time now, meanwhile building his own studio and acquiring a massive load of old analogue synthesizers. His new equipment is evident throughout “Exilarch”, filling my ears with blissful bleeps and sweeps, while the time he’s taken shows off in the well composed pieces of music he’s finished for the album.

As always, the production and soundscape is impeccable, but I’m actually starting to get a bit tired of the whole “ethereal female vocals” thing, even though it’s not as apparent on “Exilarch”, which is more varied. It would be fun with a bit more action in the vocals though, more attitude, maybe Fulber could try male singers. Excellent vocals are however present in “Like Ice”, which is the dramatic and catchy second single picked from “Exilarch”. It also seems he’s exploring the joys of string sections more on the album, which is always a plus in my book.

Otherwise my favourites are the instrumentals, where Rhys really comes into his own I think. Case in point: “Nomadic Code” and “Oligarch”, which are prime examples of a really sublime blending of emotions and technology. Almost instrumental “Demon Inside” - it only features Rhys’ own voice from time to time - is also a refreshing break with a more rocky feeling. Great stuff.

All in all, it’s easy to spot the progression made from his first solo effort to this, and both production and song writing is better than ever.

JOHAN CARLSSON