Hasmody is an enigmatic musician, meaning there’s very little easily obtainable information on the internet. Oh, there’s a Facebook page and a blog, but I’m unsure how, other than ‘Anti-Genre Musician and Composer’, to even address Hasmody correctly. But, as we know, being enigmatic isn’t the only credential one needs to make music. It’s one thing to make noises out of bass and drums and guitars and synths, strings, wind instruments and sampled sounds; quite another to make it worthy of your attention.
Hasmody’s “genre-less” music is hard to describe without referring to genre – as is any music – because that’s what people want/need to read in a review. It’s probably more realistic to say that it flits seamlessly between genres. This is possibly what attracted me in the first place. As soon as someone says they are [insert your genre here] I immediately wonder what their driver for making music is. Why would any musician tie themselves down to producing anything “in the style of…”? If all music is theft, why limit yourself – why not steal from everywhere? I know I do! You can put it on and analyse it and find a smattering of ambient, occasional dissonance and even a sprinkle of atonalistic Drum n’ Bass, some Krautrock (can I say that?), some smooth R&B synth-pop, FPS theme… you can play spot the genre – they are all genres, aren’t they? – if that floats yer boat! OR, you could sit back and listen and just…
…slide.
ΔS=δQREV/T (or as I like to call it, ‘Delta Sierra Equals Delta Quebec Rev Over Tango’) is the first release in a trilogy from Hasmody that is followed up with Synapses (or as I like to call it, Synapses). At the time of writing, the third instalment is as yet unreleased.
The enigmatic Anti-Genre Musician and Composer Hasmody describes Delta Sierra Equals Delta Quebec Rev Over Tango as: “…an attempt to illustrate an expression of cosmic nihilism and insignificance, towards the indifferent Abyss”. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want to illustrate an expression of cosmic nihilism and insignificance, towards the indifferent Abyss? I know I do!
Hasmody goes about illustrating the apparent message that everything is futile, and nothing matters because we’re all going to die, by placing images in your head through the use of song titles. Nothing, I’d wager, illustrates this futility better than Entropy. I believe, in the context of this collection of toons, Entropy alludes to the heat death of the Universe. Whilst this isn’t going to happen before you finish reading this review (probably – I’m a writer, not a physicist, Jim), it is inevitable. How better to hammer home his message? But wait! Could this also be an incentive for achieving universal peace and harmony, or at least, for humans to be nice to each other while we are here? After all, in the words of Friedrich Nietzsche:
More thought provocation: Hasmody, in an enigmatic Anti-Genre way, has used a somewhat early 1990s First Person Shooter musical vibe to capture and observe our adverse effect on Mother Nature. Anthropocene sums up what Mankind’s legacy will be to the Earth. We’re the bad apple in Nature’s barrel of life, souring things for every other living thing, probably forever. Here’s an example of how we just bloody go and ruin everything:
Mother nature had millennia of global tree cover and left us with the Carboniferous epoch (the bearer of coal), a lovely black layer sandwiched between other more colourful sediments (don’t press me on this, I’m a writer, not a geologist, Jim). We then dug up this stratum, set fire to it, and poisoned the sky as a bi-product of industry. Not satisfied with this, after the end of the World… at least, the end of Human “Civilisation”, Humans will have left behind toxic oceans and roads and cities and plots of land in various states of radioactive decay and layer upon layer of plastic. Anthropocene is Mankind’s contribution to Earth’s strata. Luckily, the World will easily outlive our species (which is nice).
And yet, though I feel I tuned in to the expression of cosmic nihilism and insignificance, towards the indifferent Abyss, the message I chose to take from ΔS=δQREV/T (Delta Sierra Equals Delta Quebec Rev Over Tango ) is actually one of hope. [EDITOR: That’s not like you at all!]
In cosmic terms, though we are indeed insignificant, Mankind might yet manage to turn it all around and clean up the planet. My fallback hope is that we might at least all die out – or even move on – long before our Star expands and consumes the rocky planets. Fingers crossed! But really the message, for me, is this – let’s try not to be such terrible quims, eh?
I told you ΔS=δQREV/T (Delta Sierra Equals Delta Quebec Rev Over Tango) was thought-provoking!
Further reading to enhance your enjoyment of the enigmatic Anti-Genre Musician and Composer, Hasmody’s ΔS=δQREV/T (Delta Sierra Equals Delta Quebec Rev Over Tango) can be found in the enigmatic Anti-Genre Musician and Composer’s blog, which reads almost like a mission statement. You can read it HERE.
ΔS=δQREV/T (Delta Sierra Equals Delta Quebec Rev Over Tango) is certainly worthy of your attention.
Now, on to the second part of this trilogy, Synapses…
TRACK LISTING
01. Ergosphere (3:26)
02. Entropy (5:02)
03. Nebula (3:26)
04. Anthropocene (4:58)
05. Meteor Shower (4:58)
06. Stellar Hammocks (Instrumental) (4:48)
Total Time – 26:28
MUSICIANS
Hasmody – Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Electronic Sounds, Orchestral Instruments, Vocals, Vocal Samples
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: Greece
Date of Release: 5th February 2020
LINKS
Hasmody – Website | Bandcamp