Karl Morten Dahl, better known as Antipole, is one of the scene’s key names today, and there’s no better proof of that than this new record, on which he teams up with Pedro Code, singer of Iamtheshadow. Karl had already won us over with his guitar work back on Northern Flux, the debut Unknown Pleasures put out in 2017. Pedro Peñas Robles, the label’s owner and a regular on our site, showed real foresight when he released that first record. That album was recorded with vocalist Paris Alexander (and Eirene). With them Karl has also released Radial Glare, two years later, and Crystalline in 2023. Those records already hinted at the artist’s evolution, and he’d also delivered another gorgeous album alongside Kill Shelter, A Haunted Place, from 2021. On his side, Portuguese musician Pedro Code has seven brilliant albums released with his project Iamtheshadow, the most recent being To End What Never Began (2024). Future Echoes, the title of the record that brings these two titans of darkness together, comes out on Cold Transmission, the label that has been released Pedro’s music lately.
Future Echoes is a work of real craftsmanship, one of those albums composed and recorded with care and devotion. It contains nine tracks, and it’s hard to single out just one — each shines in its own way. And although the material comes from different years as two songs are demos from 2017-18 and the rest has been created by Karl and Pedro during last year, the album sounds cohesive. The duo knows how to start a record and “Washed Away” is a perfect showcase of what Future Echoes has to offer. Karl Morten already stands out in the intro, his distinctive guitar-playing is accompany by some atmospheric synths played by the Portuguese singer. Once Pedro comes in with that deep voice of his, you won’t be able to help getting goosebumps — he’s an incredibly expressive singer with a baritone voice tailor-made for the genre. “The Expanse” is an intense track, with a really disarming and moving performance by Pedro, while Karl’s guitar carries the composition to its peak. On “Your Dream Explodes,” the intro stands out, with guitar that channels that same euphoric feeling found in some Clan of Xymox classics. It’s a complex track, with strong guitar work, fantastic synths, and a particularly inspired melody. “Echoes” has percussion with real punch (although I guess they are using a drum machine), a great atmosphere, and a chorus where both the guitars and Pedro’s voice really shine. It’s one of the three songs that features guitars by Karl’s song Jakob Viberg-Dahl. “A Desert Place” starts quite dramatically, the intensity building further once Pedro comes in, once again catching us off guard with how expressive his voice is. “Sonic Silence” starts with some guitars that remembers the “pop” side of The Cure but ends up being melancholic song, the perfect soundtrack for a winter afternoon. “Walk with Me” is one of the album’s standout tracks, catchy and wistful. “We Have Come So Far” again features fairly powerful percussion that contrasts with more ethereal keyboards and Pedro’s deep voice. Future Echoes closes in style with “A Fragile Kind,” a fitting finale with both artists giving their very best.
