By now, it’s been well established that the math-rock-and-chill aesthetic pioneered by CHON and Polyphia in the early 2010’s was more than a fad – it was the beginning of a generational shift. In the previous decade, if a band was math rock it meant you could infer they had punk and post-hardcore influences, whether heavy or soft.
But after records like Newborn Sun and Muse, things changed. By 2015, math rock was a whole different ball game. Distinct technicality that blended all kinds of guitar techniques became the usual, and there was also the sudden appearance of production rooted in genres like house and hip-hop.
You can read more about this on the most recent History of Math, but what we find really interesting is that in the following years, even with math rock shifting back towards it’s roots, the CHON and Polyphia sounds still exist in a sort of vacuum. It’s not just worship and tribute either, the sound continues to evolve thanks to bands like The Mantra Dischord, Silverglass, and Paralian, who just released a new EP, the aptly titled Dopamine Chaser.
Paralian doubles down on the unique sonic imagery throughout the three song EP, at times almost sounding like Clams Casino or Bonobo with prog metal guitars. There’s sort of a subliminal, overarching mysticism to it thanks to the production, and it’s great to see a project put more eggs into that particular basket because it tends to lend records a unique personality, with Dopamine Chaser being a great case-in-point. Here’s more from the press release:
“Paralian is a modern progressive metal / math rock project founded in 2020 in Istanbul by Ekin Çimren, a guitarist and composer born on September 10, 1998, in Istanbul, Turkey. Developing an interest in music at an early age, Ekin began playing the guitar at the age of 12 and soon became actively involved in Istanbul’s alternative music scene, contributing to numerous projects across a wide range of genres.”
At the age of 17, he founded the metalcore band Who Got Shot, later becoming one of the founding members of the slamming brutal death metal band Intestine Autopsy. In 2018, he played guitar for the stoner rock band Make Mama Proud, further expanding his stylistic range and musical versatility. These diverse experiences ultimately led to the formation of his solo project, Paralian, which represents a more personal and exploratory artistic direction.
Bands such as CHON and Polyphia played a significant role in the musical inception of Paralian, fundamentally reshaping Ekin’s approach to the guitar and composition. Following his relocation to Hamburg, Ekin assembled a live trio lineup to bring the project to the stage.
After the release of the Plastic Clouds EP in 2023, Paralian unveiled a new three-track EP titled Dopamine Chaser. The EP showcases influences drawn from a wide spectrum of musical genres. Its core concept is to avoid a mechanical guitar sound while maintaining playability, using layered guitar parts that function as supportive and textural elements in a manner similar to electronic music. A substantial amount of time and meticulous effort was dedicated to shaping the guitar tones, which play a central role in defining the EP’s distinctive character. The compositions reflect a highly individual approach, resulting in a sound that is unmistakably Paralian’s own. Mixing and mastering were handled by Emre Bingöl, who also crafted the guitar tones with exceptional care and precision, contributing significantly to the EP’s unique sonic identity.”
There are other cool things going on too, like the little jazz outro for “Wax Clock” where Ekin gets to stretch out and shred, or the heavier, more progressive metal, cloud kicker-type approach of the title track. All in all, we’d say it’s gone too soon, but we loved it while it was here, and really that’s what an EP is supposed to do. Here’s hoping this is a sign we get more from Paralian, and soon.
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