Short Reviews [Zanov - 2023 - "Lost in the Future"]

It is strange to think that Pierre Salkazanov was one of the pioneers of electronic music in France, releasing three albums before stopping in 1983 because he was too busy. It took more than 30 years before he revisited the music he had been working on for his fourth album, but after he purchased an Arturia Origin synthesiser in 2014 he started playing again, and this is his fourth work since then. I came across him with the release of his last album, ‘Chaos Islands’, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so I was pleased when I came across this one, which was released towards the end of last year. This is music which has been heavily influenced by Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, and Jean Michel Jarre and in some ways is quite dated because of that yet somehow also feels very modern. Unlike some performers working in this field there is always a sense of purpose and drive, and little of the meandering use of effects which some seem to rely on. This is not dance music, it is electronic which sometimes has a symphonic edge, and is something which can be readily enjoyed the first time it is played yet there are numerous threads which keep building the layers so there is always more to discover within. I don’t listen to too much of this style of music and I was somewhat surprised to see how easily I fell into his world. This is where he explores the idea of being immersed in the future, suggesting a sense of adventure, uncertainty, and the enigmatic nature of what lies ahead, and is the perfect accompaniment to any science fiction book you may currently be reading. Zanov was working on his latest album when he was 76 so one can only wonder how many more we will be getting from him, but this is a delight and a great place to start investigating his music.