Misfortunes is a one-man synth project based in Thessaloniki, Greece and formed in
2014 by Ioakim Vasileiadis. On September 24, 2020 he released his second album "The
Isle of Tomorrow" on Tonn Recordings, an independent record label
based in Belfast. The LP comes in 12" black vinyl with printed inner
sleeve and lyrics, but also as a digital release. The lyrics, some of which are
in Greek, have been written by various contributors featuring poems by Markos-Valsamis
Lyritsis, Constantinos Georgiadis, Nikolina Chatzipantazi, Kosmas Lazaridis and
Ioakim Vasileiadis.
The opening
track "Blood Disco" had already been released in 2019 as a digital
single. A great track that captures your attention immediately and showcases
Misfortune’s nice combination of minimal synth and modern darkwave. Then we have
the majestic sounding "Είμαι Εσύ" (I Am You) and "Sealed Windows". While on "Στο Τέλος του Δρόμου"
(At The End Of The Road) Ioakim’s vocal is deep and dark. The first side of the
record ends with "Forever And A Day", another example of his 80’s
inspired synth sound, combining coldwave, minimal synth and synthwave.
On the second
side we have "Mercury" that starts as spoken word piece with textures
of synthesizers in the background, before the 80’s pop beat steps in. The next
track "Diomede Islands" has that early EBM sound, reminiscent of
Front 242. The Eighties decade of the previous century are also praised on the
80ish "Directed Lies" and on the last track "Μαύρο Τσουκάλι" (Black
Cauldron) that sounds literally as if recorded back then.
The digital
release has a further two tracks, "Another Me" and "First Light"
that are in the same vein as the main tracks of the album.
Review by Nick
Drivas
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