Seaorm is the name of the collaborative project uniting October Equus (Ángel Ontalva), and Vespero (brothers Ark and Ivan Fedotov). Atlan is their fourth album, and to my mind, their best so far. The experimental music on Atlan has been largely inspired by early twentieth century silent horror films, and as such, there is a definite undercurrent of dark avant-garde gothic themes, and the atmosphere of many of the pieces is rather unsettling.
Orlok, for instance, is a dark, brooding, and forbidding composition, inspired, presumably, by the film Nosferatu (1922), whose central character is Count Orlok (Dracula). The slow breathing bass is creepy enough, but soon keening guitar sounds and gothic keyboards increase the tension. The whale-like bass sounds come back to the fore joined by an unsettling synth pattern as it fades into the mist. It’s a short piece, but the atmosphere it conjures works perfectly with its inspirational source.
Similarly, the next four tracks, collectively titled The Dream Of Allan Gray make up a suite inspired by another early horror classic Vampyr (1932). The first piece Courtempierre is the name of a French village where the story begins. A tentative guitar introduces the track, reverb adding a sense of menace, mellotron adding to the atmosphere. Electronic effects like whispering ghosts come and go, and the guitar becomes less tentative, more confident. A drumming heartbeat insinuates its way into proceedings, then bass, and the track suddenly comes to life. Guitar and keys stridently leading the charge, drums forceful but not overwhelming, before everything is deconstructed once more. Peg Leg is the second part of the suite, and the way the guitar, bass and keys sound slightly at odds with each other suggests a band lurching about, unbalanced and awkward. Seaorm soon find themselves more confident on their peg leg however, and the track blossoms into a jazzy improvised segment, Ángel Ontalva with his very recognisable angular guitar style to the fore. Léone, one of the female characters in the film follows. It is more free form in style, busy bubbly bass and percussive clatters underpinning Ontalva’s guitar explorations until we reach the final scene of the suite, The Old Mill. A more regular jazzy rhythmic shuffle pushes on as Ontalva flits between guitar and various keyboards. As we approach the climax, portentous synth chords drive us on towards an uncertain destination. The whole suite is moody, mad and magnificent.
The title track which opens the album is really the centrepiece though, and goes through several stylistic shifts through its 24 minute duration. It has clearly written parts, and then sections which I assume are more improvised in nature. These are meshed together into a seamless piece of music which naturally flows through different soundscapes. The first section is propelled by bubbling bass and jazzy drum patterns, over which Ángel Ontalva lays guitar and keyboards. The mellotron is particularly effective, and Ark Fedotov adds to the mood with fizzing splashes of synth. The solo guitar runs are subtle, playful, as if searching for new pastures to explore. The searching becomes more urgent, and mellotron interjections remind us that this is no simple jazz workout. The trio instinctively support each other as they explore, subtle gear changes bringing a sense off ebb and flow, until the mid section changes the mood. We now begin a slow walk through a dark haunting soundscape, eerie guitar sounds adding tension while Ivan Fedotov creates a creepy percussive background, and Ark adds repeating bass runs. The sense of danger is tangible, but the mood eventually lifts somewhat with an ascending guitar run, ending in a repeated motif signalling an impending shift. An electronic pulse begins, reminiscent of Gong’s MasterBuilder riff, but quickly morphs into another jazzy improvised segment, a development of Atlan’s opening movement. The hypnotic bass and drums leave Ontalva free to pull off some stunning Fripp-esque guitar runs, backed with evocative mellotron chords. One senses that we are gradually approaching a climax, and an overload of synth and loop effects bring us to the closing refrain. It seems like the shortest 24 minute track ever, as it constantly evolves and regenerates and is never allowed to become dull, which is quite an achievement for an extended piece.
Atlan’s final statement is a piece called Stalker, which, after an ambient intro, is a robust and upbeat track, with fabulous busy drums, insistent pulsing bass, some soaring and diving synth, and superb guitar. It serves to rescue us from the gothic nightmares that have unsettled us earlier, and leave us in an altogether more optimistic place.
With Atlan, Seaorm show that they have developed their chemistry to a point of alchemy, where the results of their combined efforts far exceeds what they might be expected to achieve separately. Their music is hard to classify, as it covers so many bases, but fits comfortably in none of them. Their playing is instinctive and natural, and when inspired by their muse, they can create something special. Atlan is just that, special.
TRACK LISTING
01. Atlan (24:16)
02. Orlok (4:11)
03. Courtempierre (6:58)
04. Peg Leg (5:24)
05. Léone (3:34)
06. The Old Mill (4:25)
07. Stalker (6:57)
Total Time – 55:41
MUSICIANS
Ángel Ontalva – Guitar, Keyboards, Loops, Bass (7)
Ark Fedotov – Bass, Synths
Ivan Fedotov – Drums
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: Spain/Russia
Date of Release: 3rd October 2025
LINKS
Seaorm (Ángel Ontalva) – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube
