Last year, we had the pleasure of reviewing a single from Wiesbaden, Germany-based electronic music artist, Rasky Sadagr, (a.k.a., Lukas Borovka) titled Bad Scene. His minimalistic, dark style that we encountered in that track has continued into his more recent music compositions.
He’s recently released a six-track album titled Joy Juice. This project is a collection of enigmatic, electrically charged synths and tones that are simple and straightforward in execution but more complex in meaning. Rasky Sadagr tells us that he makes music for “gangstas, goths, hustlers, & vampires” as well as the whole underworld. This unique descriptor sets the tone for the album – mysterious and cryptic, with an undeniable edginess that permeates the music.
HERE’S WHAT WE DUG MOST…
Where Sadagr seems to shine most is in his understanding of restraint. Emotions and images can be summoned without the use of words or complex instrumentation. He has withheld the precise meaning behind this music, so the listener is left to their own devices to fill in the ideas being conjured by the sounds. This is always true in instrumental music like this, but the simplicity of this album as a whole leaves an especially generous amount of room for interpretation.
For example, in Three Brides, the driving beat and staticky synths that stay constant throughout the track could summon images of a firey, hellish landscape, or instead, perhaps a seedy nightclub. Year of Succubus does the same – with its very slow build from solitary percussion into a full array of heavy, distorted synths – you can easily picture the demon referenced in the title, or this could be the backing track for a late-night drive to a sleazy destination. The consensus is that whatever images Sadagr is intending to conjure with his work, we get the feeling darkness and maliciousness are present in the true meaning.
IN CONCLUSION…
Dramatic and heavy, yet refreshingly straightforward in execution. There is no overproduction in this music, which is something many artists in this genre struggle with. But not Rasky Sadagr, no – this album Joy Juice displays his consistent use of restraint and is a well-produced showing of electronic music skill. Sadagr has mentioned releasing a gangsta rap album in the future, and we’d be interested to see what kind of a musical range he continues to develop.
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BELOW: Listen to Joy Juice and connect with his website and social media platforms. Please support Rasky Sadagr by visiting him online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
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