Reviewer: Daina

UMPIO is a name I hear again and again, because of many reasons, and one of those reasons is because of his numerous releases to hit my player. Right now, while rain is soaking the thick summery sky, I've got the "Opium Electronix vol.III" drilling my brain.
I'm not a fan of enumerations, thus no additional info on UMPIO will be provided in this raw draft of a review, first one in a long while from me. 'Cause in any case you can google it all, can't ya?
"Opium" is a well chosen name for this release series, the sound you get is pretty much same (wave)length of that one would get high on opiates on a seashore. A slow wavy flow of sound, coming close, embracing and pushing away, slow attacks, long sustains, endless releases - that's how it sounds if put shortly.
On the first part of the release, "seismic" drones are enveloping the slow movement of gigantic sound structures, creating a somewhat "drowned city" ambiances, thus welcome to sound-version of Atlantis. Later more minuscule sound particles are incorporated into the texture, the structure is becoming more elaborate. Hiss, then noise occupy the aural space, and it does become a spacey soundscape. My memory plays tricks as it points out some sounds that were common in the seventies and eighties space travel movies, and here I go trippin' through a memory lapse combining "Planet of Apes", "Twilight Zone" series, "Space Odyssey" and the first of "Star Wars". Then a deep submersion follows, down under the Baltic, to meet long oil pumps with their blurbs, a trip-like-sound through the murky water, over the slimy sea weed, and then up again. Swift sifting of organic and non-organic particles, defining the molecular structure of the winter darkness, until a blast of wind-like pipes supersedes the hiss, the murky drones and blurbs. The spinning of this wind-like sound concludes the trip with a spinning vortex, raising high and falling low, back to the waves washing a rocky shore.
Just a couple of weeks ago I was listening to the "Sauna" album by UMPIO and right now the thing I can't get over is the huge difference on the whole construction and the character of the sound. Whereas "SAUNA" to me remains as a sort of noise "staccato", the "Opium Electronix / Vol.III" is a smooth and ecstatic wave of sound with a somewhat natural development. Integrity. Well done.

Format: CDr
Released: 2013
Label: Nekorekords