Falling Between Extremes: Aleph’s world of controlled chaos in "Infinity Fall I".

"Infinity Fall I" by Aleph offers compelling evidence that, when controlled, chaos can be an intensely beautiful force.

Aleph is a metal artist based out of Cyprus, whose music is created at the intersection of two extremes. He has created music since the early 2000s, drawing on his experiences over the last 20 years, both as an artist and through formal education, as well as years of self-learning. Aleph's current project, Watch Me Die Inside, incorporates harshness of deathcore, the emotional aspect of melodic metal, the electronic textures of electro-pop, and the chilling ambient sound of black metal, all melded together into one cohesive sound, which he has named Deathened Melodic Electro-Pop Black Metal. Aleph is an independent artist, and just within the last year, three EPs and two singles have been released; the music consists of a variety of atmospheric, experimental, and emotionally honest soundscapes.

Aleph’s epic EP “Infinity Fall I” uses contrasting elements to emphasise the dynamism of music.

The first track is a great example of this. It represents how music and sound can be both calm and soothing on one hand, while on the other hand, they can be harsh, aggressive and jarring. The song begins softly with both piano and digital sounds creating an environment of calm. This type of dynamic expresses how someone may feel when they can control their environment, and all of a sudden lose that control and that experience.

On the other hand, “Weak Tension” takes a different route to achieve heaviness in music. There is a pressure within the music created by Aleph’s use of melodic structures that creates what sounds like a tightrope. Again, Aleph provides us with an accurate representation of how something that has been buried beneath the surface will eventually come to light, so we feel tired trying to hold on, even when we are trying to keep our composure. The song also does an excellent job of providing balance between melody and aggression. This illustrates Aleph's ability to use pacing and mood tracking when creating music.

"Something Is Wrong" embodies chaos throughout. The track opens with a heavily subdued, dark, and moody feeling until it ultimately builds into a reckless and out of control vibe; through this build-up to chaos, we hear a flood of demonic-like voices mixed with thick and heavy distortion and dark, atmospheric sounds filled with doom, sadness, depression, etc... When we are almost halfway through the track, the sense of intensity has already drowned out all the compromise and the less intensified sounds have fought a good fight and lost. Aleph creates music that emphasises familiar characteristics; however, the arrangements create an unusual listening experience. The construction of the EP is the most impactful part, contrasting to create a sense of collision and coexisting harmony, and this EP is a must listen.