Parallel Worlds

Artist:  Alio Die & Parallel Worlds
P:  2010
This is the first collaboration by ambient master Alio Die with soundscape creator Parallel Worlds. The unique sound achieved could be described as a hybrid sonic world, made out of bouncing electrons and air vibrations. The modular machines of Parallel Worlds are merged with the acoustic instrumentation and drones of Alio Die, joined by the ethereal voice of the Polish vocalist/composer India Czajkowska, resulting in a surreal, yet down to earth, listening experience. The compositions, being, at times, minimal and calm and, at other times, full of mystical darkness and microsound elements, take the listener into a place were mental and physical boundaries have no need to exist.
“Parallel Worlds’ music is a combination of dreamy/atmospheric textures with analogue rhythms and sequences. Parallel Worlds use mostly huge Analogue Modulars and Analogue Step Sequencers of the past and present, combined with digital synthesis techniques.
Bakis Sirros has been involved in various sound design projects and is the moderator of the Doepfer A100 modular users group, helping in the progress of the tools for experimental electronic music.
He also participates in some other collaboration projects, the project “Interconnected” with the German musician Ingo Zobel (of DRON, Signalform, Self Oscillate, Datasette, etc.) and the project “Memory Geist” with the Australian electronic musician Steve Law (of Zen Paradox, Starseed Transmission, etc).
Since the late '80s, Stefano Musso has recorded deep, evocative experimental ambient and electro-acoustic soundscapes under the name Alio Die.Combining sweeping electronics with found sound and acoustical treatments, he has assembled a rich and varied collection of recordings for such labels as Projekt, Timebase, Heart of Space / Fathom, and his own Hic Sunt Leones label.
His music is a shadowy, cavernous, intensely detailed fusion of acoustical elements, step-and-repeat sample treatments, sparse, echoing percussion, and deep, atmospheric sound design, playing ambient's static tendencies off of shifting melodic and textural passages that suggest movement without sacrificing the music's vague, entropic formlessness.

 

Artist:  Alio Die & Parallel Worlds
P:  2010
LTD 500
This is the first collaboration by ambient master Alio Die with soundscape creator Parallel Worlds. The unique sound achieved could be described as a hybrid sonic world, made out of bouncing electrons and air vibrations. The modular machines of Parallel Worlds are merged with the acoustic instrumentation and drones of Alio Die, joined by the ethereal voice of the Polish vocalist/composer India Czajkowska, resulting in a surreal, yet down to earth, listening experience. The compositions, being, at times, minimal and calm and, at other times, full of mystical darkness and microsound elements, take the listener into a place were mental and physical boundaries have no need to exist.
“Parallel Worlds’ music is a combination of dreamy/atmospheric textures with analogue rhythms and sequences. Parallel Worlds use mostly huge Analogue Modulars and Analogue Step Sequencers of the past and present, combined with digital synthesis techniques.
Bakis Sirros has been involved in various sound design projects and is the moderator of the Doepfer A100 modular users group, helping in the progress of the tools for experimental electronic music.
He also participates in some other collaboration projects, the project “Interconnected” with the German musician Ingo Zobel (of DRON, Signalform, Self Oscillate, Datasette, etc.) and the project “Memory Geist” with the Australian electronic musician Steve Law (of Zen Paradox, Starseed Transmission, etc).
Since the late '80s, Stefano Musso has recorded deep, evocative experimental ambient and electro-acoustic soundscapes under the name Alio Die.Combining sweeping electronics with found sound and acoustical treatments, he has assembled a rich and varied collection of recordings for such labels as Projekt, Timebase, Heart of Space / Fathom, and his own Hic Sunt Leones label.
His music is a shadowy, cavernous, intensely detailed fusion of acoustical elements, step-and-repeat sample treatments, sparse, echoing percussion, and deep, atmospheric sound design, playing ambient's static tendencies off of shifting melodic and textural passages that suggest movement without sacrificing the music's vague, entropic formlessness.
This is the ltd 500 vinyl version.

Artist:  Alio Die & Parallel Worlds
P:  2014
LTD 300
Elusive metaphor is the second collaboration between ambient master Alio Die and scapes creator Parallel Worlds. in this new album, the drones and loops by Alio Die are combined with the modular soundscapes of Parallel Worlds, resulting in out of this world aural environments that merge elements of a dreamy and calm nature with mechanic and even industrial musical paths. Zither and field recordings are combined with soundscapes and sonic fragments that defy boundaries, giving the listener a unique mental journey of unspoken beauty.
Elusive Metaphor is deep and lush, showing a fine confluence of light and shadow. From acoustic sources to analog synths, everything comes together smoothly. This is a must-loop album, and please have your headphones on to take in all the small, integral sounds. An excellent offering from Alio Die and Parallel Worlds.

Artist:  Alio Die & Parallel Worlds
P:  2020
LTD 200
The new third chapter of the duo is characterized by expanding atmospheres, in a more organic and dilated form, the sounds are left free to unfold and mix, revealing vertical, engaging and transcendent ... hypnotic dimensions. Everything flows without interruption breathes and pulsates passionately in the complete and absorbed kidnapping of the 'silent witness'.

Artist:  Memory Geist
P:  2011
LTD: 99
"Benthos" is the second albumby Memory Geist, the collaborative project of Steve Law (of ZenParadox, Starseed Transmission & Black Cab) and Bakis Sirros (ofParallel Worlds & Interconnected). Their first album "FunerealCavern" was released in 2007 by the well respected Italian experimentallabel Musica Maxima Magnetica.
The creation of "Benthos" has been a long process initiated in mid-2007 when Law visited Sirros in his home town of Athens, Greece and the duo recorded some initial material together comprising a variety of soundscapes,sequences, analogue rhythms & organic atmospheres. On his return to Melbourne in Australia, Law sculpted this raw material into a set of 6tracks which were augmented by further soundscapes, rhythms and arrangement ideas sent across to him by Sirros. The gestation of"Benthos" took 4 years in total and has resulted in the birth of a complex and fascinating ambient electronica album. The pieces range from dark, industrial rhythmic tracks to cosmic style slabs of ambience and showcase the duos use of modular analogue synths along side computer software manipulation.
This album is full of various modular and analogue synths, including ARP 2600, Doepfer A100 / eurorack, Integrator, Sergemodular, Technosaurus Selector, Metalbox/CGS, MS50, System-100m,Trident, etc, etc.

Artist: Parallel Worlds + Dave Bessell
P: 2018
DIN 56
LTD 500 Copies
The names of both Parallel Worlds and Dave Bessell should be very familiar by now to followers of the DiN ambient electronica label. Bakis Sirros (aka Parallel Worlds) has two solo albums, Obsessive Surrealism (DiN26), Shade (DiN32) as well as collaborations with DiN label boss Ian Boddy in Exit Strategy (DiN37) and most recently World Adapter (DiN48) with Self Oscillate (Ingo Zobel). Bessell on the other hand has a single solo album Black Horses Of The Sun (DiN47) as well as his contributions to the two synth supergroup Node releases (Node 2 (DiN44) & Node Live (DiN55)). Of course the duo have already collaborated before on their 2012 album, “Morphogenic” (DiN41) and “Dystopia” sees these two musicians continue their sonic dialogue. Track titles such as “Cipher”, “Mutagen” and “Devoid” as well as the album title leaves one in no doubt that you are entering a dark and foreboding sound world. Indeed Bessell quotes the infamous novel “Neuromancer” by William Gibson as a major influence. Bakis Sirros as ever weaves his intricate modular rhythms that seem to squirm and writhe underneath vast slabs of analogue chords that rise and fall like cities. Indeed the album is very dynamic with complex, almost classical arrangements that constantly shift under ones feet. Amongst this Bessell introduces some fleeting guitar work as well as his adventurous analogue physical modelling sound design. Seeming to inhabit a netherworld between dark electronica and progressive synth these two musicians have once again created an album that just doesn’t sound like anyone else out there. Join them for a unique sonic adventure.

Artist: Parallel Worlds + Dave Bessell
P: 2021
DIN 65
LTD 500 Copies
The names of Dave Bessell & Parallel Worlds should be familiar to aficionados of the DiN label with various solo & collaborative albums under their belts. “Phosphenes” see these two well respected musicians team up for their third collaborative release on DiN. Following on from Morphogenic (DiN41, 2012) & Dystopia (DiN56, 2018) this new album builds on their previous work creating an imaginary Synthwave soundtrack. Bakis Sirros the mastermind behind Parallel Worlds provides the skittering rhythmic backdrop to the tracks over which he and Bessell overlay ominous bass lines, twisting melodies and creative sound design that recall a shadow of 1980s John Carpenter film scores. Bessell also adds his unique guitar style that he so effectively uses in his other well known side project with the synth quartet Node. Both musicians make extensive use of modular synth systems but in very different ways that perfectly blend together in these eight atmospheric tracks.The duo of Bessell and Sirros really do have a unique sound that is unlike anything else released in the world of electronic music and “Phosphenes” presents another chance to enter their darkly twisted sonic world.

Artist: Parallel Worlds + Self Oscillate
P: 2015
DIN 48
LTD 500 Copies
Ingo Zobel (Self Oscillate) and Bakis Sirros (Parallel Worlds) first started collaborating via the internet in 2004. Their first album, “Current Flow”, under the project name “Interconnected”, was released in 2010 on the Belgian VU-US label. Following this a vinyl EP of ambient tracks called “Mechanic Environments” was released in 2013 on the Dohkonul record label. For “World Adapter”, their second full collaborative album, Ingo and Bakis are using their more widely known aliases of Self Oscillate and Parallel Worlds respectively. Four years in the making this album is redolent with the sounds and textures of modular analogue synthesisers which both musicians are well known for employing in their music. Ingo uses a large Doepfer / Eurorack system whereas Bakis creates his complex sonic textures with Doepfer, Serge and Buchla systems as employed on his previous DiN releases (Obsessive Surrealism (DiN26), Shade (DiN32), Exit Strategy with Ian Boddy (DiN37) and Morphogenic with Dave Bessell (DiN41)).

Artist: Parallel Worlds
P: 2024
DIN 83
LTD 300 Copies.
Greek synthesist Bakis Sirros who records under the name of Parallel Worlds has become a familiar name to followers of the DiN label. His debut release was “Obsessive Surrealism” (DiN26) back in 2007 and since then he has released two further solo albums, “Shade” (DiN32) and “Plector” (DiN76), as well as several collaborative albums with different artists including DiN label boss Ian Boddy & Node guru Dave Bessell.
This fourth sonic journey from Sirros on the DiN imprint sees him focusing in on his modular synthesiser systems, especially the Eurorack format with some able support from Buchla. These massive constructed patches live and breath like a crepuscular organism waking from its slumber. Indeed “Fragmented” is bookended by two wonderfully deep, textural tracks appropriately titled “Dawning” and “Sunset”. With the exception of the organ-like drone soundscape of “Time Flow” the remaining seven tracks encapsulate everything we have come to expect from this unique artist, namely dark, menacing bass lines overlaid with glitchy percussive patterns and beguiling, floating melody lines. It has certainly be noted before, but is worth reiterating, that there is a certain John Carpenter like soundtrack quality to the music of Sirros. Seemingly simplistic they shroud a wealth of detail and beauty that is revealed over repeated listening.
Lovers of Electronica, Dark Techno, Downtempo & IDM will find much to admire in “Fragmented” and this new album once again showcases the unique talent of this highly individual musician.

Artist: Parallel Worlds
P: 2007    
DIN 26
LTD 1000 Copies.
Parallel Worlds is the main project for the Greek musician Bakis Sirros. He has been active in the Greek electronic music scene since 1998 having performed at several concerts including E-PHOS electronic music festival in summer of 2001, Mad club, Club22 (2nd Summer in the city Festival), Music Day Festival 2006, Small Music Theatre and the Underworld Club. He is also involved with other muscians in collaborative work. The new IDM project “Interconnected” with the German IDM musician Ingo Zobel (of DRON, Signalform, Self Oscillate) and the ambient / experimental project “Memory Geist” with the Australian electronica musician Steve Law (of Zen Paradox, Starseed Transmission).
“Obsessive Surrealism” (DiN26) is his fourth album having previously released “Existence” in 2003 on Greek label Rubber Recordings and “Insight” in 2004 and “Far Away Light” in 2005 both on the UK label Shima Records. He has also had tracks included on several compilation releases.
Bakis is a great advocate of modular analogue instruments and indeed is the moderator for the Doepfer A100 modular users group. He has also been extensively involved with sound design for the UK analogue modular synthesiser company Analogue Systems.

The music of Parallel Worlds is a combination of dreamy, atmospheric textures and pure analogue electronic rhythms and sequences, combining the feel of 70’s electronic music with modern electronica and ambient music. Sirros uses huge analogue modular instruments and analogue step sequencers of the past and present combined with digital FM, virtual analogue synths and sampling. However he manages to elude the fate of many of his contemporaries in not falling into the trap of simply recycling the past. He creates a music that lives and breathes, imbued with his own personality and mannerisms. At one and the same time familiar and fresh. Steady, organic rhythmic structures are overlaid with deceptively simple melodies that remind one of some lost John Carpenter soundtrack.