Viktor Benev - "The Spirits Within"

Inspired by the Final Fantasy games, “The Spirits Within” by French artist Viktor Benev are a peek into a rich inner world paired with naturally skilled story telling and sound design. The track features heavily processed acoustic instrumentation, Musique Concrète influences, integral melodies and captivating ambient flourishes. According to the press release, “Viktor Benev is one of those artists who never cared about music genre differentiation. A true explorer of sound in its entirety, each of his works is a unique unclassifiable project on its own.

After the trance-state-inducing Aeon (Remastered 2023) (very much inspired by the work of Ryuichi Sakamoto and alva noto) and the more experimental Architextures, in which he seeks homogenic incorporation of acoustic (vibraphone, guitars, piano, percussion) and electronic elements (synthesizers, sound objects), Benev's latest EP delves the listener into a true storytelling auditory voyage. Five Dreams is, in a way, an unofficial soundtrack, based on selected works in literature, games and cinema. Obsessed with all three in different periods of his life, Benev wanted to pay them a tribute and reveal a side less-known to his listeners.

Benev started playing music at the age of 6 on piano and percussion. His insatiable curiosity led him through extensive classical music, jazz, improvisation and finally electronic music studies. He affirms his moving to France has led him to discover the Musique Concrète movement of Pierre Schaeffer, which now stands firmly in his compositional approach.

Integral part of Crystal Sound Project and anchored in a family of artists as diverse as Matthew Herbert (aka Herbert), Björk, Radiohead, Tomáš Dvořák (aka Floex), Matmos, Bonobo or Herbie Hancock, his music reflects a vast range of interests and never-ending search for renewal.”