Inverz
Slow
Phantom Channel

For Phantom Channel's 13th (good luck!) online-release, Thessaloniki, Greece-born Savvas Metaxas and his Inverz project is the chosen band. Phantom Channel have always been an interesting label -- "they pride themselves on sorting through the zircons to bring us the diamonds". They're mainly dealing with digital releases (with a few exceptions). Inverz is another new musical name to dig into, digitally.

Savvas Metaxas, who's also running his Granny Records stable, plays acoustic and electric guitars with loads of pedal effects and field recordings. His influences count Fennesz, Pan American, Alva Noto and My Bloody Valentine. Slow is in fact his third album as Inverz, and presents 4 tracks, slow-floating and long-formed; the short tracks clock in at 5 and 7 minutes, the two 'long-drinks' take 13 and 15 minutes. These are drifting dronery and slow-slow flickering ambient soundscapes. All in all Slow is a most fitting title.

Metaxas (not to be mixed with Metaxa - the Greek brandy - or...?) combine gliding, discreet guitars and likely discreet field recordings and effects. Even though I sometimes find it hard to keep focused while listening, this is music for dreaming away, almost sleeping soundly. Tranquillising stuff, nevertheless.

Copyright © 2010 Håvard Oppøyen