Sika – The Phenomenon EP

After receiving a mysterious package via DOA that was addressed specifically to my attention, I found in my hands The Phenomenon EP by the mysterious Sika. 6:34 a.m. on a Wednesday morning the following day it found its way into my CD player.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but found myself being overwhelmed by this slowly mounting dreamlike wave of sound. For some reason, I find myself convinced this might be what Muse sounded like before they figured out their sound, or grew up, so to speak.

The acoustic guitar beginning of “Phenomenon” opens, to be cheesy for a moment, like a flower. Or, perhaps it is more along the lines of that feeling I get some mornings after waking up, where I find myself lying in bed unable to climb out, stuck in a state of limbo. Although the vocals are sometimes unsteady, it actually lends to the nature of the music. There is within this track especially an appealing rawness that leaves me hoping Sika will be sending me more material in future.

Talk about an abrupt turn, though. All the soulful melancholy of “Phenomenon” was blasted away, as if someone had dumped cold water over my head, as “Asleep Again” began. We have here elements I’m often fond of, but will only admit to in my darker, revealing moments. Unfortunately, they weren’t used to their best effect here.

“Asleep Again” opens with some confusing chanting, which is followed eventually by very, very indies era Dir en Grey elements (think 1997, as in when they were technically La:Sadies), somewhat electronic noises, and a driving beat reminiscent of some of the rock you occasionally (confusedly) find yourself presented with at the end of a foreign film. You know, the song that kicks in sounding like it came from an entirely different universe than the film you just saw? Where I can see this perhaps working on a full length album, on an EP it only feels out of place and distracting, something put together to maybe suck in the following of some kids who are willing to jump around to anything loud.

“2×7 4×4” is more along the lines of “Phenomenon,” which is a very good thing, but this only serves to make “Asleep Again” stick out all the more like an ill fitting puzzle piece someone has thoughtlessly crammed into an open space in hopes no one will notice. There are almost Opeth-like Damnation album elements here, which I find appealing, those lovely Muse-like vocal moments reappear, and I find myself wanting to play “2×7 4×4” again after it has finished.

Somehow, the “naphini remix” version of “Asleep Again” that is included on the EP is less jarring than the original, yet the electronica club scene remix style has me once again frowning. In either permutation, “Asleep Again” leaves me feeling almost like I’ve listened to two entirely different bands or that someone is trying to cover all bets, so to speak, on this EP.

My advice to Sika; stick with it, but find focus! While unpolished at times, “Phenomenon” and “2×7 4×4” feel more honest and altogether accessible than “Asleep Again.” The softer, surreal sounds not only more adequately display the musical potential of Sika, but are a lovely match for the rough-hewn vocals of Aleksey Zharinov and leave this listener looking forward to future releases.