Music is everywhere around us. It does not all need to have the standard verse-chorus-verse format. The most interesting music is quite the opposite as it challenges expectations. Our recent discovery of Daniel Biro is proof that music can come in many different forms and be ever present in the sonic space around us.
The experimental ambient artist is originally from Eastern Europe and spent much of his childhood in Italy and France. Now based in the United Kingdom, Daniel Biro has taken his wealth of experiences and created a unique sound that is all his own. Studying Jazz in his early days gave Daniel the opportunity to explore music in all its forms.
To further his own invention Daniel Biro founded the experimental music label Sargasso back in 1985. Since then he has released 12 albums and written music for film, TV, theatre, contemporary dance, multimedia installations. He has also provided full feature film soundtracks such as for ‘Things of the Aimless Wanderer’ by Rwandan director Kivu Ruhorahoza which was a selection at Sundance, Rotterdam, Sydney and London Film festivals.
On the 16th of February, Daniel Biro released his own album 120 onetwenty. After 6 years in the making the record is over 1 hour of continuous instrumental vintage keyboards taking the listener on an exotic journey through sound. With the opening track “door,” Daniel lets us in slowly as the minimalist start builds to a full expanse of noise to fill the speakers. We are in for something quite different here.
Enjoy the full Daniel Biro experience here:
The sonic waves are manipulated to form a sort of brainwave pattern on “ancient.’ Our mind may be under his control soon but we seem to be OK with that. All muscles relax as we absorb the energy of the music. There is more of a bass and drum feel as “nimbus” enters. Each track builds off of the last in a way where there is no clear separation.
The influence of such artists as Kraftwerk and Soft Machine can be heard on “embark” as a chugging beat keeps the track moving through an assault of sound seemingly coming from every direction. We turn a little more futuristic with “barren” and its spacy sounding elements. Daniel Biro has found a way to produce images in your mind with just music. We are in a darker space now where danger may lurk around the corner. “Immortals” continues this vibe of almost fear.
By the time we reach the closer “outside” our mind is ready for an awakening. The listener is greeted with sounds of nature interspersed with dark vibrations to allow this. We are not fully sure where we are going, or where we have just been but we are soothed and prepared for the journey ahead.
This 120 onetwenty album is more than just a collection of songs. It is an experience that needs to be taken in as a whole. Dive into the artist WEBSITE for yourself. Keep up with Daniel Biro on his NEWSLETTER with FREE GIFTS too.
