Hungarian artist Zsager Balazs continues to show his penchant for enthralling atmosphere on the Sacral Design EP, whose dark ambient sound traverses across menacing droning and textured beauty. A contemplative thematic emphasis shows alongside, questioning the role of faith and mythology in the digital age — and especially the role of AI in crafting those ideals.
“Stigma” kicks off the EP with a gripping, ominous soundscape. Pit-pattering rainfall is accompanied by a swell of dark, bellowing intrigue. The textural swells continue throughout, while creaky twangs linger underneath. The mid-point plays as a captivating central climax. The initial build-up attains a blaring, buzzing entrancement at that point — then falling into a lushly glimmering conclusion. Sacral Design impresses in its atmospheric, compelling structural builds, and its opening track is a stellar example of such.
An inventive range of ambient sounds continue throughout. A playful trickling contrasts with haunting, ghostly chills on “Inferno Haze,” where choir-like effects intertwine with wavering distortion for an impactful immersion. “God is Granular” is excellent as well, particularly when accompanied with heady music video. EP finale “Holy Algorythm” presents a more hopeful tone, particularly in the second half as an effervescent assemblage of textures contrasts the darker, cavernous sounds of earlier tracks. Zságer Balázs’ Sacral Design EP represents one of the most consuming ambient releases so far this year.
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The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Obscure Ambient.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
