Review
S.K.E.T. - Baikonur
www.industry.ee
Steel shaded Baikonur is perfectly coherent album offering a fast and thrilling soundtrip through glorious Cosmos Program of once so mighty Soviet Union. Baikonur was a secret cosmodrome complex located somewhere in the wide steppes of central Kazakhstan. The hidden spot where one of the greatest achievements of humankind took place.
Album takes off with energetic Sputnikschock, the launch of the first artificial satellite on October 4, 1957. This was a day which shook the World. Coming at the height of Cold War - U.S.A. was terrified! This lead to Space Race and fast technological evolution on both sides. That was a start. Sputnikschock is full of spontaneity, triumphant energy and irresistible drive. This is a hymn for the victory of science and technology! Brave tiny Sputnik! Circling first rounds around Earth! Carrying the dreams of humankind onto orbit with him! Sun glittering on his body - he's a pioneer! The first one to open the space for mankind! Sky is not the limit anymore!
Sputnikshock is followed by harsh hitting Luna (Isolator 4) - which takes us much further, rushing forward with enormous power! Unstoppable force! Luna - godlike rhythmics! Beats against beats! Hammering steel! Whistling valves!! Pulsing light signals! I could go on like this forever! Soul blending with beat - I am technology - technology is me. Mindblowing power!! Incredible sound! Definitely one of my most favourite tracks on Baikonur! It's harsh, it's powerful, it's fast! Lunas were the first manmade objects to attain escape velocity and impact the Moon. Yes, that's exactly how it makes you feel - like attaining escape velocity! It's enrapturing!
Next flight takes us onto board of Vostok I to share the unforgettable moments in human history. Vostok I was launched on April 12, 1961, taking the first man into space. This was the first time anyone had ever journeyed beyond Earth's atmosphere and the first time anyone went into orbit.
Gagarins flight unfolds in three phases, first one covering the complicated way to orbit. Tearing off from gravitational field, growing velocity.. solitude, uncertanity ..and blinking lights of controls.
In a second part - we are already orbiting up above.. a breathtaking view from space.. Small Earth like a blue gem in the black sky, revolving majestically, milliards and milliards of stars all around.. Infinitely infinitely.. milliards of galaxies.. no end to space.. no end to universe.. and there she shines, our only Home, so beautiful, so unique - blue planet Earth..
Return trip begins with Pt.3. Re-entering the atmosphere. Enormous vibrations, heavy friction, capsule shaking and burning, burning and shaking.. and steady human heart beats..
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alexeyevitch Gagarin orbited the Earth once, in 108 minutes, and returned unharmed, opening new horizons for Mankind. It was a birth of a new bright future and visions in human hearts.
Next track is Elektron (Behind The Truth) the only one on the album with evident lyrics. Elektron leads us to the basics and depths of truth and existence.. The paradox of knowledge - we yearn for truth.. just to kill our illusions. That is our human nature. Heavy track, somehow melancholic and icily harsh..
As for history - Elektron was a project for simultaneous study of the Earth's inner and outer radiation belts, cosmic rays and upper atmosphere, and it all was done by two spacecraft in different orbits at same time.
Whilst Proron-K rolls into our consciousness with silently murmuring motor and gloomy melody. Hacked transmission cutting through harsh noise of cold beat of engines. Defective radio waves from Earth... Dangerous fuels.. Reflecting titanium.. Soulless life of machines, cold wonders of technology. The pressure fades in clock ticking which takes us to next journey - Zond - the clock is ticking. The timer is on. Machines are breathing. Ignition! Here we go again! Nerves and senses on edge! Tension! Attention! NOW! Space Race is on. Zond (meaning "probe") was the name given to two series of Soviet unmanned space missions from 1964 to 1970 to gather information about nearby planets.
Another gloomy track Progress evolves under the howling alarms with shifting rhythmics on expanding soundscapes and under layered danger between sirens and menacing vacuum.
Progress was the orbital module used to transport dry cargo and water to the station. On its missions depended a lot.
It keeps our senses alert, until Kosmos 1101/ C3 surges over with massive wave of beats, so dense and fine-grained textures. It overwhelms completely. Huge machine, gaining speed and altitude. It's massive! Totally ruthless track! Absolutely brilliant!
Meteor 2-5 continues this magnificent tour de force with the heavy sound of rotating cylinders in giant engines.. taking you smoothly to another level. Heavy and powerful. Rotating in infinite cosmos. Black space all around filled with cold shining stars. And there those tender melodies flow in..
So microscopic, so soft, so vulnerable is a human being.. floating there.. So powerful are his dreams. Tiny spot in cold vacuum, a being full of love and dreams.
In fact Meteors were actually first Soviet weather satellites.
With the end of Meteor atmosphere changes drastically.
Dark and ominous Sojus 11 echoes the catastrophe of the fatal mission. Blood freezing sound sequences, bleep of a flatline and the pressure of beats. The Sojus spacecraft was launched on June 6, 1971, docking with Salyut went well, the mission was successful - till fire broke on 11th day. The crew was about to handle it.
On June 30, 1971 the recovery team opened the capsule to find the crew dead...
Next - 13th track is entitled Tsiklon-3, Tsiklons were new type of orbital launch vehicles - this track leads us back to dreamy flows, reaching for higher goals and ideals, boosted by motors and artificial kinetics. Beautiful mechanics of sounds.
Whilst following Salyut 6 starts with elastic sense of unreality, pulsing lights in the darkness, pounding machinery and the feeling of pleasant disorientation and lightness as floating in zero gravity. Salyut 6 was a Soviet orbital station launched on September 29, 1977. With Salyut 6, the Soviet space station program evolved from short-duration to long-duration stays.
The lightest track of the album must be the next track called Mir! Mir is so cheerful, full of playfulness and flashing by comets (hey! make your wishes!) So easy in mood and fun having rhythmics! Slowing just for a moment.. for a thought or two. Mir (Ìèð, which means both world and peace in Russian) was a highly successful Soviet orbital station. It was humanity's first consistently inhabited long-term research station in space. Through a number of collaborations, it was made internationally accessible to cosmonauts and astronauts of many different countries. It became a symbol of space peace. Mir was assembled in orbit in 1986 to 1996. The station existed until March 23, 2001, at which point it was deliberately de-orbited and project terminated.
Mir's easiness transforms into Fobos - a flight of changing multiple heavy beats and elating melody lines, that's Fobos on its mission to far red Mars. Forward to the new discoveries! Is this the place where lies a future for human race? A question which still waits for the answer.. Fobos spacecrafts were launched 1988 to study Mars and its moon Phobos, but shortly before the final phase of the mission, contact was lost..
Closing composition Soljaris is a truly puissant ending, impressive for its monumental power, majestic pace and overwhelming supremacy. A great anthem, echoing infinite distances and secrets of dark space up above.. infinite force. enchanting human minds forever. We want to reach the skies.. We need to go further.

Baikonur is an impressive tribute to soviet science and technology.
A tribute to the greatness of Mankind and its dreams.

A wonderful piece of harsh going sound art!

YES! Highly recommended!
by der5pezialist