Stazi by Soulacybin - Deep, Hypnotic and Ethereal Psychedelic Dub

Soulacybin's Stazi album offers a mesmerizing journey through psychedelic dub and psybass, blending ethereal melodies with deep basslines to create surreal soundscapes that captivate listeners from start to finish. The album is fairly minimalistic in design, but don't be fooled - you'll easily drift away and get lost in its intricate structure. It's very introspective without being bland - actually, it's the contrary.

Delving into Stazi

The album starts hard with "Siber", easily one of my favorite tracks to exist. It starts so subtly and so... innocent, but soon you realize the lush atmosphere is sucking you in, or rather that you're already so deep - it quickly gets intense, yet you feel so weightless. He perfectly blends skank, an abundance of delay and reverb - elements typical for dub music - with psychedelic squelches, flowing melodies, as well as unconventional use of samples. He even knows how to use a cowbell.

"Zeu" is surely an overlooked gem. It very effectively combines piano, arp, guitar and psychedelic squelches - Soulacybin's signature sounds. It puts you in a relaxing trance, but the emotions it evokes are nostalgia, melancholy, hope. Further the track gets a bit more intense, creating some sort of a psychedelic turbulence, a rollercoaster of emotions, a feeling so beautiful and so hard to explain. It's a shame the track lasts only 4:32 - you might want to replay it.

The album ends with the title track "Stazi". I feel it often flies under the radar. It opens with an acoustic guitar and later transitions into this twisted amalgamation of synthetic and acoustic sounds - changing the vibe several times across the track. Impressive dubbed out track with an influence of acid, finally coming back to and closing off with a touching guitar solo.

Who is Soulacybin?

Soulacybin is known for over 10 years on the scene for albums like Gratitude (2014), Stazi (2015), Alien, Baby (2017) and Slug Cuddles (2017). His music takes influences from genres like Jamaican dub, bass music, glitch and DnB with a pinch of experimental, resulting in unique music with entrancing melodies, hypnotic grooves and various psychedelic effects. Check out his Bandcamp.

Final thoughts on Stazi by Soulacybin

The album takes a unique spin on psychedelic dub/psybass, taking inspirations from other genres, yet keeping the vibe coherent and consistent across the album - with a whopping total of 11 tracks. While some tracks are certainly better than others, there are no skips. Soulacybin's sound is truly unique, creative and is a great companion to a long and colorful night.