The Hidden Sounds Of My Hometown:
“Futuristic Dereliction” By Alphaxone & Onasander
Back in September 2024, the first time I saw the cover art of “Futuristic Dereliction”, I was struck by a strange familiarity. It immediately reminded me of my hometown—Tehran. I’m not sure why. Maybe being far from home has made me search for pieces of it everywhere as if it’s constantly finding ways to remind me of its presence. This album is a collaboration between Alphaxone and Onasander ( Mehdi Saleh & Maurizio Landini), two artists I first encountered in “Shadows of Forgotten Legends” (2020) and through Cryo Chamber. I considered writing a review at various points, but it never felt like the right time. I needed to let the sounds settle, to absorb them fully. To let them resonate in my soul. Now, I finally feel ready. And as I write, I realize this review has taken the shape of something else—something more like a minimal dystopian story.
The adventure begins with “Mega Cities”, a soundscape that evokes the feeling of being lost in an immense metropolis—perhaps my own hometown, or maybe an unfamiliar city where I’m just a stranger. Skyscrapers tower above, blocking out the sky. Where is this place? A sense of disorientation lingers. Then comes the fear, a gnawing, unshakable dread. I try to find something familiar, anything to ground myself—but there’s nothing. I don’t know where I am, or how I got here. The uncertainty grips me, but I can’t give in. I have to find the answer. I have to do something. Then, the sounds become more dynamic, creating an urgency—as if rushing toward something, maybe a change, maybe even rewriting the past. There’s a fleeting attempt to disrupt the timeline, but it’s just a dream. None of this is real. Everything is unfolding in my mind, it’s a “Time Fracture”. And afterward, a deep, resonant tone fills the space—like the sound of the void itself. I feel weightless, drifting within the soundscape, drawn into an abyss of thought. Or in water, I’m floating, maybe drowning deeper and deeper…“Artificial Gravity” takes
hold, pulling my consciousness inward, into the unknown. The void surrounds me. Daylight fades. I crash back to the present. A heavy darkness hums in my ears, growing louder until it emanates from everywhere. Night has fallen. I am alone. In the distance, echoes of something—perhaps falling, collapsing—ripple through the air. Exhaustion sets in, my mind weighed down by the journey. I need to close my eyes…
A deep drone sound echoes through the void. I open my eyes—still dark, still cold (Beyond Zero). There are no signs of life. Everything is crumbling, collapsing in the distance. From afar, faint sounds drift toward me—haunting, distant echoes that stir a strange realization, the kind that sinks in when you suddenly notice something is missing. As twilight falls, I keep moving, searching for someone, anyone I might know. Then, through the dust and ruins, I see it—remnants of a “Lost Civilization”, perched atop the wreckage. A wave of shock washes over me. This… this isn’t my hometown. It can’t be. This isn’t the place I once left behind. What happened to its greatness, its glory? So it seems—the inevitable has come to pass. Everything is under the control of the “Neuromancer”, manipulating, and dominating. I hear the machine-like voices, a relentless mechanical presence. But as the soundscape unfolds, something shifts.
A glimmer of hope emerges—faint, distant, yet undeniable. It tells me we won’t remain under their grip forever. Then, beyond the ruins, beyond the decay—I see it. A horizon bathed in light. The sun is rising. The soundscape transforms, capturing the essence of a new dawn, a rebirth. It’s calm, mesmerizing. Then, a subtle sound—rain. And suddenly, it’s everywhere. Cleansing, renewing. This is the “Human Edge”—where we reclaim the borders, rebuild, and take back what was lost. We won’t become derelicts of the future…
~ Pegah
https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/album/futuristic-dereliction
https://alphaxone.bandcamp.com/
https://onasander.bandcamp.com/