Leave it to the magnificent Robec to come up with something as outright brilliant and darkly evocative as this: a musical journey traversing a conceptual landscape built on and around the use of modular synthesizers. These beautifully crafted compositions are as perfectly haunting and memorable as one could have hoped for, and while there is more than a passing nod to Tangerine Dream on occasion, this record is the sound of an artist shaping a singular vision and proudly following his own creative path.
Time, space, and identity (and one’s perceptions of those, for that matter) become fluid constructs throughout, and Modular Session I – Actaeon invites the listeners to immerse themselves fully in what can only be described as a richly textured and cohesive work possessing an imaginative appeal and a stirring quality, much of which derives from the repetitive motifs and subtle layers that allow the mind to wander and conjure a vivid response. Parts of the record are akin to a kaleidoscopic whorl of underworld darkness and arcane rituals in terms of atmosphere, whereas others lend themselves splendidly to the meditative and even primal instincts. There is variety to be found within, as it were, and spontaneity and intuition have clearly played a pivotal role in terms of conceiving and building these compelling soundscapes.
Modular Session I – Actaeon differs quite a bit from the more progressive, sophisticated, and near-flawless The Forest Is Too Loud (2025) but is no less rewarding or stimulating to experience for that, and to lose oneself completely in this 2026 offering is pure bliss.
Modular Session I – Actaeon will be released by Gymnocal Industries on November 6, 2026.
