Mokhov – Halcyon Days

Oleg Mokhov has been on the scene for as long as I can remember being interested in the Internet.  His electronic music portfolio has grown sizeably over the past few years, and every release (in whatever form) continues to inspire.  Most of his music began as remixes of different shapes and sizes, which were released in the form of podcasts.  From that point he’s moved to experiment in a multitude of areas, including composing music for an online talk show, licensing his own music, creating an indie video game soundtrack, and most importantly, releasing a debut album on Magnatune Records.

He’s one busy man, which is one thing that most independent musicians must respect.  While not in the limelight all the time, he’s undoubtedly making a name for himself, performing projects that might not be considered traditional fare for most musicians.  Oleg doesn’t tour, doesn’t go through much of the ancillary motions that many would have you come to believe must be done for one to be a successful musician.  Slowly building a name for himself without the unadulterated use of hype, his humble demeanor and dedication to his music speaks for itself.

I consider this debut album a culmination of all things Mokhov.  Of course, I have a bias toward his music from following it closely over the past few years, but as objectively as I can tell, Halcyon Days is a high quality release.  This is not just a collection of random tracks created over time – it’s an album with direction, a cohesive electronic journey pointed toward a distinct destination.  That destination is brimming with color, saturated with emotion, and chock full of grooving soundscapes styled with a certain hypnotic flare.

I’m pretty sure that in the future, when I think of well-made, high-quality melodic electronic music, Halcyon Days might just become one of the baselines for that definition.

For most independent musicians, it’s almost impossible not to have to wear every hat at some point or another.  Musicians nowadays must be their own publicist, manager, marketer, and of course, still have time to make music.  Somehow Mokhov pulls these things off with aplomb, without allowing himself to get distracted from what he has dedicated himself to: making high quality music.  Halcyon Days isn’t tailored take advantage of a specific trend, as it almost seems timeless in its presentation.  The trip-hop style beats are well constructed, melodies aren’t repeated ad nauseum, and the overall dynamic is varied enough to stay fresh and engaging throughout its ten well-paced tracks.

Reminiscent at times of Four Tet and Boards of Canada, Mokhov has engineered a solid design with Halcyon Days.  Mokhov is indeed worthy of whatever praise might be given to him for this album, though “one of the best debut electronic albums of all time” is an opinion that won’t be determined for years to come.  Either way, this album is well worth the measly $5 he’s charging for it at the moment.  If you’re a fan of any electronically influenced music, whether it’s trip-hop, dubstep, techno, or downtempo, I’d be surprised to hear that anyone could find much fault in this beauty of a debut.  Listen and be amazed.

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