Sybarite

Cut Out Shape

(Temporary Residence)

Record Review by Alexis Roberts

Sybarite is basically a multi-tasking Xian Hawkins. He is the band, he creates the sounds. This new album, Cut Out Shape, really emphasizes Sybarite’s organic outer-space techno project.

Named appropriately, Sybarite means a person devoted to luxury and pleasure, and is also a synonym for sensuality. All of these songs could be considered somewhat luxurious and sensual. The first time I listened to the CD, I kind of felt as if there was a porn director out there somewhere just waiting to get his hands on this to use in his next film. But please don’t let my vulgarity keep you from taking Xian seriously; he is a talented man, and Sybarite showcases the number of genres he can overlap on one single project.

Sybarite layers classical strings over chopped bits of techno samples and sporadic beats, producing a Paul Oakenfold meets Kronos Quartet feel to the songs. It’s worlds apart from the simplistic lap-top techno that most people create. The strings add another dimension to the music, making it tangible. If techno was a painting on a wall, Sybarite would be the 15 ft. marble statue next to it. While there are featured vocals, they are scarce, distant and distorted. The words come out as frozen in audible blocks of vocal melody which wind up sitting in the backseat as the rest of the music is asleep at the wheel.

Cut Out Shape is the type of thing that you must experience (not just hear) for yourself in order to know whether you will like it. A suggestion: someone out there should make a light show to go along with it.