MISSIGNO

It's an impossibility in this age to come across a band that truly sounds like no one else in the business, but the Greek trio Missigno comes darn close. Categorizations such as progressive rock, electronic rock, jazz fusion, synthwave and progressive electronic all sort of touch on the music on this album, but none of them really covers the full scope of the band's influences and stylistic ambitions.

One thing that must be said right away about Missigno is that they are very plugged in: George Constantinou's bass is electronically enhanced so as to almost sound like a square wave and drummer Jason Wastor frequently reaches over for his electric pads, but it's his relative (presumably?) Nicholas whose synthesizers dominate the album from beginning to end. The two-minute "Decode Session" is a perfect introduction to the band's production and composition style: tons of major seventh keys and weird chord progressions over a steady driving beat, led by an analog(-ish?) synth solo and drowning in tons of phasing synth overdubs and even some Mellotron samples. The title track, "Boba Fett" and "Merfolk Sensei" follow in the same pattern, with some tasteful guest spots for guitar on the first two and for sax and flute on the latter; "Boba Fett" also sports a more playful tone compared to the rest of the album which is generally rather dark and intense.

But the most distinguishing feature of Missigno in this nascent moment of their career is their improvisations, which make up eight out of thirteen tracks on this album: there's a bit more premeditation going on here than on your average rock jam, as these improvised sessions are heavily subjected to loops, edits, samples and overdubs so as to maintain the album's otherworldly atmosphere and wall-of-sound production style. Not every single one of them is guaranteed to please: "Finos Film Under Attack" wears out its welcome a tiny bit and "Digital Parasites" may offend some ears with its shrill synth bleeps and dissonant arpeggios, but the "Checkpoint" duology with its excellent drum part and its ominous, gradually intensifying keyboard layers kicks ass; "Automaton Dream Sequence" almost resembles psychedelic trance music and yet doesn't feel out of place at all on what is still unmistakably a rock album; "Shapeshifters" is an impressive, fiery keyboard jam and the closing "Exit, Crash" is a masterpiece on which Missigno prove themselves to be the masters of slowly intensifying buildups. The 13-minute running time of this track is fully justified as it transforms itself from a slow, sparse techno beat to another finely drummed jam (this time with the bass taking front stage) and finally to a distorted hellish march before leaving the listener with a few final synthy soundscapes.

With Binary Digit Temple, a long album that is nevertheless absolutely worth the investment, Missigno take progressive rock music into new, rarely explored territories. Without any reservations I can say: this is the sound of the future.

Elusive, vague, difficult to classify, but diverse, impressive creation really. "Binary Digit Temple" was released in July 2020 by an Athens-based combo MISSIGNO were founded as a Nu Jazz / Electronic / Post Rock trio. Mysteriously colourful sound collective, featuring complicated electronic candies, sincere and serious jazz essence, and fuzzy dizzy post-ish background, will catch our heart directly and will absorb our soul into their inner space strictly. Let me say this album sounds like a huge amusement park consisting of a great number of attractions and theme facilities ... Every single song involves such a flood of energy and a fascination overall. Quite suitable and encouraging for the audience who are alone at home and cannot attend any gig under the pandemic situation.

Their sound formation and construction should be quite complex and dissonant, but the atmosphere itself should be pretty brilliant, delightful, and charming. We can simply enjoy this entire creation by the three geniuses full of creativity, without any consideration nor analysis. However I'm kinda humble reviewer so let me say as follows: Always wondering how and why the trio have got into such a kaleidoscopic musical combination, and what pioneers they have got inspired by. For me, it sounds like their electronic sound structure and phenotypic plasticity might be influenced by a Japanese Electronic Giant YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA at least, but maybe their crazy eclectic melodic / rhythmic components remind me of some more influencers not only like 70s authentic progressive rock scene but also various musical elements around them.

The extra-fantastic soundscape appears immediately via the first titled track possessing bright electronic departures on the basis of post-rock-designated distorted dissected background. Mystically delightful but somewhat depressing and tragic. This stuff has ultimate charms. "Merfolk Sensei" a short but matured, condensed track gives us sorta comfortable vertigo along magical energetic melodic loops and rhythmic spices. Leonidas' natural but strong sound flute plays are also attractive and heartwarming. "Decode Session" is another superb jazzy electronika mixed with complicated melodic maneuvers and smooth slender percussive baselines. It's surprising and amazing we can be immersed in this discordant song as an ultimate comfort. In "Finos Film Under Attack" we would be touched with confusing composition and swift flows of melodic developments. Inorganic electronic sound structure is going to shift another safe and sound. Their enthusiastic technique is beyond expression indeed. On the contrary, cool clear rigid rhythmic organization seasoned with powerful and bewitching melody lines can veil us deeply in the following "Automation Dream Sequence". Very splendid they can launch not only so-called progressive strategies but pleasant acoustic impressions. Therefore a kind of folksy poppy catchy management can be held in "Boba Fett" , another delight. It's also surprising that the epilogue "Exit, Crash" is one of the simplest, calmest creations (and the longest one all over the album) but their jazz spirits and electronic enthusiasms can be vivacious so greatly. We should be caught into their atmospheric percussive advancement in this track.

This creation notifies us of their massive positivity and incredible creativity. Why don't we call their debut album awesome?