Review: Bakt – Arqueano

Style: dungeon synth (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: Murgrind, Kaatayra, Bríi
Review by: Andy
Country: Brazil
Release date: 24 March, 2023

For the past three years, my album of the year (or runner-up in 2021) has been handed to me on a silver platter directly from the heavens, or rather from the brain and studio of Brazilian forest spirit Caio Lemos. I previously reviewed the godly synthesis of his projects, Bríi’s Corpos Transparentes, and I’ve touched on the brilliance of Kaatayra before, as well. His tertiary metallic project, Vauruvã with its improvisational black metal, moderately impressed me last year in its stripped back fierceness. But my man Caio Lemos still has two projects which I haven’t yet discussed for the blog: synth pop duo, Rasha, and today’s dungeon synth-y subject, Bakt. 

Rather than taking in the primal grandeur of the rainforest, Bakt gazes backward toward the primordial earth on Arqueano–at a microbiological scale. To do this, Caio Lemos takes to the synth, creating evocative, reverb-laced soundscapes. In the first track, “Chuva de Cometas sobre o Tapete Microbiano,” each cascading synth line unveils itself like a more chilled out version of his trance elements in Bríi, forging a calming atmosphere to lose yourself in. When competing synths come into frame a few minutes after the start, they contribute lovely harmonies to the overall composition. The sister piece, “Quando o Vento Faz Sombra, Bactéria Troam,” has a timbre that somehow feels more paleontological, but the two songs pair together wonderfully. In fact, the tracks feel inextricable, contributing to a cohesive album of dungeon synth brilliance.

Even for dungeon synth standards, however, these pieces are quite inactive. A bit more harmonizing or distinct moving pieces could drastically improve Arqueano, possibly at the expense of the overwhelming tranquility of the majestically reverbing synths, of course. On the upside, the damp sounding percussion actually fits in well with this relaxed sound. Like Secludja, the minimalist piano project of Be’Lakor’s pianist, Bakt is actually difficult to review because it is so relaxing the tracks fly by as I daydream of epochs long past: The long, free compositions make me feel insignificant, like a bacterium myself. 

These chilling synth compositions aren’t quite the divine gift I hope for when I see a new Caio Lemos release, but they are strong dungeon synth tracks in a vacuum. The microbiology theme is unique, and the music feels true to the concept. And heck, if either track randomly did break out into furious, Kaatayra-esque black metal, we would have an album of the year contender on our hands, but for now I’ll just have to wait for the next surprise Caio Lemos release–surely I won’t be waiting too long with his prodigious output. 

Recommended tracks: Chuva de Cometas sobre o Tapete Microbiano
You may also like: Castle Zagyx, Secludja, Rasha
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Instagram

Label: independent

Bakt is:
– Caio Lemos (everything)