What does Manos Milonakis sound like?

A contemporary composer that mixes piano, string quartet, and electronics.

The review of ‘Zyklon’ by Manos Milonakis

Originally composed for “Zyklon or the Destiny”, a play by Thanassis Triardis, Manos Milonakis’ latest release sees the composer return to the score to rerecord sections and present it as a complete score. Across ten haunting pieces, Manos explores themes of dark energy and confinement through beautiful string arrangements, piano and music boxes.

‘Intro’ brings us into the world of Zyklon with a mixture of life sounds from doors slamming shut to baby cries. It’s a carefully constructed audio biography and storytelling scene setter that paves the way for the slow passage of time to take over. That slow passage of time is expressed through mournful string arrangements and lonely music boxes. ‘The Description’ tackles this with beauty within solitude whilst ‘La Forza Del Destino’ is like a French whisp of time and regret oozing from a dying accordion. This fades into the distance with foggy dreams of the previous tracks seeping in and out with ‘One Last Melody’. In a score where time itself seems to have stood still, even the previous track cannot escape the speakers and instead echoes around the listener like it’s trapped with a ball and chain.

An undercurrent of electronic synths bleeds over into the meatier middle section of the score. ‘The Camp’ is a lethargic tick-tocking pause in time. From the thick string quartet bringing slow tension to their strings to the glassy music boxes echoing around the synths, the track builds up to a percussive explosion that never comes. Instead, it fades into a windy woosh and then we hit rock bottom in ‘The Gas Room’. This subwoofer-vibrating electronic piece features slow hammering kick drum pulses, malevolent trance bass synths slowed to a sneaky crawl and a fantastic theremin lead melody. The tension is thick like molasses and eerie like the apocalypse. It is such an evocative piece and a real stand-out. The theremin stays for a tender and bittersweet piano, violin and theremin ballad. ‘Giardini Di Boboli’ has all the hallmarks of a tragedy in the rain turned into classical music.

Entering the closing third of the score, Manos switches gears for the organ and piano based ‘The Desperation Of Your Eyes’. The initially sombre piece turns into a duality of emotions when the plucked strings join in to lift the questioning piano riff up with a hug. That leads us to ‘Zyklon Main Theme’ which expands on the same melody but adds in lots of electronic synths, a music box and a bolder string arrangement. The release then closes with a live version of ‘La Forza Del Destino’.

Whilst not an easy listen, Manos Milonakis has created a sombre, wandering weary score with ‘Zyklon’. The music boxes create a delicate balance of innocence and sadness. The strings and piano are restrained for the most part but never wooden. If anything, it’s the theremin and electronics that create the tense, eerie atmosphere that brings ‘Zyklon’ to life best. Fans of contemporary classical music and cinematic scores will enjoy diving into this release. It may have been initially composed for a play, but the music tells a complete story on its own. Each track sounds lonely and lost in a world without time or purpose. That is an achievement in itself and one that Manos should be proud of.

Recommended track: Zyklon Main Theme

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