Zoungla always manages to impress me no matter which way he goes. He’s had five albums thus far, all of them different and interesting, but united by, well, Zoungla-isms that remind you who the artist is. The sixth album released on November 28th and is called Dream Machine, and it is yet another beautiful and memorable album.
Zoungla is Costa Damoulianos of Montreal, Québec. He handles vocals, guitar, bass, and synth, but brings with him Federico Gucciardo on drums and Matthew Souaid on saxophone and clarinet. He is particularly adamant that he makes music made by a human and supported by humans (a sad commentary on our day and age).
The music here is a blend of progressive rock and electronic. More specifically, the prog rock sounds like his other project, Transcend, and the electronic is psybient wreathed in funk and color. This album probably has the most guitar of any Zoungla release, so much so that I was taken aback at first. However, there are entire portions of the album that lean into the electronic flavor that I so love.
Dream Machine is a fascinating work. It addresses an artist’s relationship to their art: the struggle, the exploration, the discovery, the self-deceit. In other words, what it’s like to create something while being an imperfect human being. There is a good dose of carnivalesque whimsy throughout the album, but also darkness and pure celestial light.
The album has 8 tracks and is just over an hour long. For me, the best sequence is from tracks 3-5. I do love the opening song “Blurred Faces” and how it takes its time entering the dream space before launching into warm Zoungla nostalgia and gentle riffs. It’s a perfect opener. Next comes “Master of Illusion”, a nine-minute piece that transitions over and over between horns to acoustic guitar to saxophone to heavier segments and more. It is the single, and I don’t think it’s particularly representative of the album, but it’s good nonetheless.
The next three tracks are my favorites. “Firebreather” is such a cool song with its slow-burning, sinister electronic character. I like how it progresses with style into riffs hovering in electronic skies. “Redshift” follows a gentler, bubblier electronic style that bleeds into a soft beat and ambience. “Escape Pod” closes this three-track instrumental run with stark purity that burns into the atmosphere with picturesque melodies and spacious vocal harmonies. These tracks work so well together and take us on a fantastic journey.
The final three songs are all great, too. “Untethered” is something of an acoustic ballad for the most part, well, until the guitars come in with gentle command near the end. “Solar Evolution” is another favorite, feeling very much like an aura blending and changing hue, progressing and becoming. There is a dark monastic harmony that reminds us of primal, human impulses to create, and the song basically feels like it is describing why Zoungla makes Zoungla music. I love it. The final piece is a ten-minute song called “Out of Orbit”. Much of it revels in the dreamy carnival themes, but it also contains some of Costa’s best vocals and this sense of “touching down” after creating something, after experiencing the harrowing trip through our own minds and fingertips.
Zoungla is a unique project, and every single album is a gem. Dream Machine is no different in that regard, but fans of his Transcend band should especially check out this album because it blends his two outlets seamlessly. There are some incredible moments to be had and a little something for everyone.
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Find Zoungla online:
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The PROG Mind 