I first encountered Playgrounded in 2012 when they released their ep “Athens”. It is an outstanding progressive work. It flowed, and had great impact without needing to exaggerate or place themselves on a pedestal. Such was the chord that it struck that I played it a lot. I knew the band still existed, and also that they had relocated from their native Greece to the Netherlands but hadn’t realised there had been an intervening album called “In Time with Gravity” in 2017.
Crashing chords capture our attention. A heavy progressive beat strikes up, sounding doom. In between times a soothing pattern strikes up, laced with electronic vibes. The singer’s emotive echoing voice lingers. We enter an electronic dreamland, accompanied by the soft drum patter. This is a kaleidoscope of colour. Wow. “The Swan” sent shivers up my spine. Full of strength and colour, it has the air of vulnerability but like “Athens” there’s no exaggeration of self-pity. Electronic waves then greet us. “Rituals” is dark and sinister, like an electronic storm brewing in the background. The vocalist whispers darkly. Drama and intrigue are in the air. Instrumentally this is sophisticated but atmospheric and shadowy. It is gripping. The mood remains dark. Clouds gather. The electronic buzz penetrates the progressive soundscape. Winds whistle. Seamlessly the atmosphere darkens still further with a progression into yet deeper and more dangerous territory. Now it’s like being in a cold room. Dark progressive sound waves create the impression of being in a science laboratory. The vocals are machine-like and robotic. Yet in spite of being mechanical, I felt as if I was connected electrically to this, the title song. The scene transforms but it’s done in a way that is not obvious, as Playgrounded create a world which is full of imagination. It’s the world of Anubis Gate and it’s the world of Kraftwerk.
Electronic effects are used to set the scene again on “Tomorrow’s Rainbow”. The vocals ooze sadness but do not linger, as the scene becomes more urgent. The sharp electronics contrast on the face of it with the emotion of the song, but while edgy, they blend in. Heavenly dreaminess leads to a powerful crescendo and outpouring at the end. But it’s all carefully controlled. The alarm-like start of “The Road Out of the Flood” signals an emergency. The atmosphere is sinister. The pulse is intense and heavy. The rich tones of the vocalist remind me of those gothic metal bands like Charon and Poisonblack. But it’s not gothic. The electronic extra-terrestrial feel and the level of imagination are that of Leprous and Vola. Musically it’s appropriate too that Playgrounded has accompanied Riverside on tour. “The Road Out of the Flood” is cold and frosty. My earlier shivers are now physical ones as it’s now like being in a cold store with machines around me. The Vola analogy comes to mind again on “Our Fire”. At the start it reminded me of Vola’s “Alien Shivers” before it heads into sophisticated and shadowy heavy prog. There is an empty background filled with dark electronica and lush and chunky guitar loops. But what is impression is the collection of sounds that contribute to this enormous scene – the sheer scale and breadth of instrumental output is immeasurable and are supported by vocal harmonies which are both exquisite and bitingly cold.
I read that with this album “Playgrounded evoke a sense of the uncanny closely related to the cut-up movie fragments of sound artists”. Without doubt this is much harder edged and more technically advanced than “Athens”. Again this is a very interesting and invasive work. With these skilfully crafted songs they whip up a whirlwind of progressive sound waves through loops, a machine-like atmosphere, carefully controlled intensity and subtle transformations. “The Death of Death” is a remarkable, spine-chilling experience. I don’t know if Playgrounded are intending to tour, but they are due to play at ProgPower Europe this year. That will be a real treat.
(9/10 Andrew Doherty)
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