Short Experiences in Eternity, Pt. 2 by Akartis is a sonic odyssey, an intricate tapestry woven with cerebral frequencies, evocative melodies, and a meticulous interplay of the vintage and the futuristic. It is an album that thrives on contrast – between chaos and calm, past and future, digital and organic. Each track unfolds like a chapter in a metaphysical novel, guiding the listener through a landscape of existential musings and sonic exploration.
The opening track, I, immediately establishes the album’s transcendental scope. A chant-like invocation and an immersive frequency act as a sonic portal, inviting us into Akartis‘ world. The track feels like an initiation – its intensity rising with a dramatic piano motif that surges and recedes, mirroring the inexorable push and pull of existence. This fluid movement between ascent and descent, between crescendo and decay, sets the thematic core of the record: a contemplation of time, loss, and the cyclical nature of being.
Following this, Dawning takes a sharp left turn, introducing an 8-bit synth arpeggio layered with reverberating bells. The track initially feels playful, evoking the surreal landscape of a pixelated dreamworld, but this sense of nostalgic whimsy is soon juxtaposed with a lush orchestral string arrangement. This duality, between the synthetic and the sublime, creates a dynamic tension, pulling the listener into a realm where time and technology merge in a dance of perpetual transformation.
Then comes Senselessness, a composition that leans into intrigue and suspense. The textured drum work and dimensional bassline create a noir-like atmosphere, reminiscent of a detective film unraveling in slow motion. Synth melodies drift in and out of the mix, flickering like distant neon signs in an urban dystopia. The piece is hypnotic, and its piano accents add an emotional weight, making it one of the album’s most cinematic offerings.
With Nights of Pity, Akartis cements the album’s overarching aesthetic. The simplicity of its piano bass notes belies a deeper complexity, as vintage synth melodies intertwine with the composition. There is something deeply melancholic here, yet it is not despairing – it is the melancholy of contemplation, of peering into the infinite and finding oneself dwarfed by its vastness. The fusion of retro synth textures with futuristic soundscapes creates an intoxicating paradox: a sound that feels both aged and timeless, tethered to nostalgia but also searching for something beyond.
The Melancholy Intermediate serves as a kind of intermission, its elegant piano work punctuated by jarring moments that suggest an undercurrent of unease. It functions as a turning point, a moment of realization within the album’s larger narrative, hinting at the struggles and conflicts that shape human experience. The track does not provide resolution but rather deepens the mystery, leaving the listener grasping at fleeting moments of clarity.
Days Infinite (Interlude) is a meditation on impermanence. The off-pitch synths create an atmosphere of subtle dissonance, as if time itself were slightly out of sync. There is an unease here, a reminder of the transient nature of all things. The layered notes, at times slipping out of key, reinforce the idea that life, much like the track itself, is beautifully imperfect and ultimately fleeting.
Then, Repetition / Something’s Not Right introduces a glitchy, cerebral energy. This track is the most abstract, pulling the listener into a spiral of sonic distortions and synth arpeggios that evolve with a sense of urgency. It is an auditory representation of uncertainty, of the nagging suspicion that reality is slipping through one’s fingers. The reintroduction of textured drums grounds the piece, providing a rhythmic heartbeat amidst the chaos.
The album’s shortest track, Uniques, is a fleeting burst of energy. At only 24 seconds, it embodies the ethos of brevity and impermanence. Its drum-and-bass feel, coupled with an 8-bit synth melody, is a momentary spark of euphoria before the record plunges into its final, most profound movement.
Closing the album, And Then It Ceases is a masterstroke of composition. The elegant piano passages evoke the suspense of a Hitchcock film, but set in a distant, futuristic dreamscape. The piece oscillates between moments of haunting beauty and unsettling drama, encapsulating the album’s central theme: the fleeting, ephemeral nature of time. As the final notes ring out, there is a lingering sense of unfinished business, a feeling that this journey is not truly over but rather suspended, waiting to be continued.
Akartis‘ Short Experiences in Eternity, Pt. 2 is an existential meditation in sound. Drawing influence from the experimental ethos of Radiohead and the raw intensity of Death Grips, Akartis carves out a unique sonic space that is both deeply personal and profoundly universal. The album’s seamless fusion of ambient electronic textures, intricate melodies, and philosophical musings creates a listening experience that is as introspective as it is immersive.
This is music for those who seek to traverse the boundaries of time and consciousness, for those who find beauty in the interplay between order and chaos. It does not simply ask to be heard; it demands to be felt, to be experienced as a journey through the infinite. And as its final echoes fade into silence, one cannot help but feel that this is only the beginning. We have added And Then It Ceases to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to explore Akartis‘ wider discography, including for once, and FOREVERMORE, Pt. 1.