Hesius Dome – Travel Bug (Psy Harmonics)

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This third album from Hesius Dome marries some quite musical gestures with gorgeous washes of ambience. It’s the work of Australian musician, engineer and producer Simon Polinski, a man who has worked with everyone from Paul Kelly to Ollie Olsen. His solo project Hesius Dome though is something that is really quite unique. His aesthetic is really quite difficult to describe thanks to his penchant for melding amorphous synthetic swirls with desert highway guitar, such as on the album opener, the epic twenty eight and a half minute journey The River. Don’t forget to pack some lunch. He follows that up with the semi orchestral electronica of the title track that is subdued and classy, quite experimental, yet also ethereal at the same time. Then there’s the gentle faux tribal beats of Catching The Shortwave, clocking in at a measly five and a half minutes. It all sounds amazing, lush, vibrant and very present, which you’d probably expect given Polinski’s credentials. Hell there’s even references to Vangelis’ Blade Runner in the final 10 minutes of The Intergalactic Journey. For Hesius Dome each successive album has tangented off into a new direction, and whilst you could still comfortably label this ambient or down-tempo, there is a lot going on, and it’s definitely not designed with the sole purpose to seduce. It’s not smoky. It’s crisp and clear.

If you can ignore the terrible (and ill fitting) cover art, it’s well worth taking a chance on one of Australia’s most sublime, yet criminally underrated artists currently in operation.

Bob Baker Fish

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Bob is the features editor of Cyclic Defrost. He is also evil. You should not trust the opinions of evil people.

2 Comments

  1. simon polinski is a proper old fashioned genius
    his music is always lush and evocative
    one of the very very best….in the world
    and yeah
    terrible cover art
    he shoulda got me to do it
    steve kilbey

  2. I actually like the cover, it has a quirkiness to it that fits well with Simon’s.
    Thanks for the lovely review Bob, great to see someone aknowledging Hesius Dome finally. Simon is like the tastiest sausage with in season roasted vegetables and gorgeous chutney and gravy, washed down with a perfect wine. I am honored to be his friend..
    Buy his album people!