Often, the biggest provocations do not stem from radical experiments but from disappointing expectations on a more subtle level. Without doubt or reasonable reason to dispute, “Hinterlands‿ is a groovy, catchy, darkly seductive and sinisterly relaxing album with the potential to appeal to all with a knack for deep sounds and dragging beats – which is quite a sizeable amount of listeners in my book. On the other hand, few records have managed to conjur up an equal spread of bashings and hymns of praise. So what has Tokyo Mask done to alienate large chunks of his audience?

In effect, he has destilled his music down to its essence. Kostas Karamitas draws his inspiration from “rivers of alcohol, angry priests, rusty demons‿ and even “strange odours‿ according to his website, but in more concrete terms, his main source of influence are avantgarde noise and ghoulish dub – even if they, too, have only left faint traces on the simple but incredibly hypnotic beats, leaning on straightforward hihatpatterns and a plentitude of tiny polyrhythmic percussive particles, as well as streaks of sinister drones, which are occasionally left to pulsate on their own for a few minutes. But even compared to the echo chamber experiments of Jamaican producers in the 70s, Karamitas seems like an ascetic. His tracks appear out of black holes, start moving as if wound up by invisible hands and then rattle along like metal machineries in the cradle of Rosemary’s baby, vanishing into the same space of unconsciousness they came from. Hardly audible spoken word samples are woven into the texture of the pieces, as are stabs of didgeridoo breaths and two-tone themes by broken organs caught in a cosmic winter far away from here, bending like weeping willows in a sandstorm. But there is not a single melody to be found anywhere, nor are there any vocals or hints at human intervention. The bassdrum of “Oil and Stone‿ pounds like a heart in hypersleep, but it remains foreign like an insuperable fronteer.

To many, this absence of traceable development has indicated a poverty of creativity and an unfair amount of self-indulgence. Maybe “Hinterlands‿ really does require a great deal of commitment by the listener and above all the willingness to immerse yourself into a music which leaves a lot to your own imagination. It is the same with a David Lynch film: Most of its images are mere metaphors, which you either recognise or you don’t. If the former applies, then this album will suck you in like a maelstrom.

This review has been really difficult. Mainly because several listens in I’m still not sure of what to make of this album. With Hinterlands, Kostas Karamitas has created an album which can only really be described as a cross between dark ambient and dub with a few jazz and vocal flavors added to sparkle the mix up.

On paper it’s a really interesting idea, in some ways dub and dark ambient do compliment each other and go for some of the same emotions so I was interested to see how this worked out, but I can’t help the feeling that it’s not quite there, it’s close but not 100%.

The annoying thing is (and it’s why this reviews been so damn hard) that I’ve developed a real love/hate relationship with this album. There are some listens where this album really hits the spot, gets right in the pocket and I just relax and nod my head as my mind flows with the warmth, rhythm and atmosphere and listens where it just annoys me and I want to throw it out the window.

For example, the bass. They have this really amazing bass tone, really dubby and smooth but also with that over-driven grit on the top end which helps it growl along. But the basslines are all pretty much keynote drones, with the odd other note put in to remind you it’s there. And there are times when this feels like the best thing to do and it complements everything that’s going on really well but on other listens you just want the bassist to play a real meaty dub bassline because a proper dub bassline can just be the best thing your ears will ever hear and when it doesn’t appear, you get sick of the constant unsatisfying hum when there could have been so much more. But being a bass player I’m a bit biased in that respect.

The album is really well produced, thought out and put together but if you’re going to merge a couple of genres it’s nigh on impossible to get the absolute best elements of both out. When it works it really works, for example on the epic, sprawling “Morning Star” which is a perfect example of when the repetitive simple bassline really really works and the beautiful crisp drums, textures and the like all weave together to form a great pattern which makes you sink into the armchair with a smile on your face. But when it doesn’t it can really grate on your nerves and push your patience to the limits.

For anyone who really likes the idea of a mix of dub and dark ambient I’d suggest you pick this up straight away, get yourself in the right frame of mind and this is a diamond. For other people this may or may not be your cup of tea. As I’ve said it’s well done but it does require a lot of patience. I’m glad I own it and it will be listened to every so often but it’s unlikely to hit my top 10 of 2007.

Following a couple of EP releases (Backbone, Manfool), Kostas Karamitas (aka Tokyo Mask) delves into something deeper and longer on Hinterlands. This is a pitch-black collection of ambient tracks, consisting of long, eerie drones and moody, esoteric synths.

The rhythms have a subtle dubby elegance, the beats are trippy and occasional, but neither the rhythm or percussion element dominates the album’s sound, whilst melody is substituted by long groaning sound shards, sometimes deriving from slowly grating guitar chords.

The objective of Hinterlands is no doubt to create a powerful soundtrack world, restlessly shifting in perspective throughout, but although carefully put together, little of Hinterlands is truly memorable. Occasionally the crisp beats will stir from their slumber or the minimal bass lines will settle into a prominent groove, but rarely does the impetus build.

Hinterlands is really a sleeping giant; some tracks work well as purely ethereal segments, but an extra component is missing, as too often these languid, echoey tracks become dry and repetitively sanitary.

Kostas Karamitas’ first full-length Tokyo Mask album Hinterlands alternates between tribal ambient settings haunted by shuddering guitars and distorted voice samples and slow, drum-and-bass explorations of a dark dub-hop character. After “Critical Mass” inaugurates the album with an industrial drone of steely shudders and factory noises, a muted horn rises from the ashes in “Queen of Crossroads.” But it’s the track’s rumbling bass and thwacking snare groove that strongly indicates that Hinterlands has more in common with Bill Laswell’s dark ambient style than it does any IDM-related genre.

Even so, the heavy rhythm emphasis on tribal cuts like “Oil and Stone,” “Like You Perverts,” and “The Miraculous Erector” argue that Karamitas’ music is even more kin to the Sly and Robbie albums Drum and Bass Strip to the Bone and, to a lesser degree, Rhythm Killers. Keening train whistles in “Oil and Stone” even appear to nod in the direction of Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express during the tune’s journey through the African Congo. In general, Tokyo Mask’s music presents a harrowing and nightmarish dub mutation that simulates a disorientated Opium-induced state. Devotees of Laswell’s Hear No Evil and the Material outing Hallucination Engine should find much to like about Hinterlands too.

This release from 2006 features 50 minutes of metallic industrial music.Tokyo Mask is Kostas Karamitas.

The first track is a gritty dose of looping drones which exhibit a decidedly metallic flair, as if ship hulls were scraped to produce tones that could be blended with hostile pulsations.

The second piece employs a touch of mournful horn calling from the midst of a windswept glacier as an intro for a structure of harsh percussion backed by breathing textures designed to evoke wastelands under a cold sun.

Next, more metallic scrapings unite with a metronomic beat while a bassline rumbles underfoot to achieve a haunting disposition. A tide of angry electronics rises to provide a harmonic presence to the industrial composition.

This industrial sensibility is maintained in the next track, as vicious tones swarm like hungry vultures to worry a dying man.

The next piece works through a hesitant clockwork phase to reach a stretch of stark percussion underlined by electronic cycles that achieve an ominous mood and ultimately overwhelm the rhythms.

Again, stark percussion rules the next track, while dark tones marshal vitality and gradually attain a melodic presence.

Moody tonalities usher in a nucleus of portentous beats that swells until the track erupts into a menacing tune bristling with the promise of mechanical bloodshed.

The last track explores a terse void, slowly filling this vacuum with deadly textures that accrete substance until they reach a resounding crescendo of incredible ferocity.

This music is a pensive blend of abstract structures laced with industrial compositions designed to increase the audience’s tension level.

Wow, this was a pleasant surprise. From Greece/Hellas (a country that really seems to be mass-producing interesting acts like Iambia, Siva Six and P. Strikes) comes Tokyo Mask. A band that until now has been unknown to me. Behind the name we find the only member Kostas Karamitas. On the debut album ‘Hinterlands’ we are met by long, sweeping ambient drones with dark-hop loops all packed together with long echoes of guitar and bass-sounds. This could without a doubt been a new Ant-Zen or Hymen release. ‘Hinterlands’ are best presented as a whole rather than a track-by-track album. It brings a feeling of an ambient ritual. And it’s easy to close your eyes and just dream away in the soundscapes, but all “rituals” has its “breaks”. There are some parts of the album that really suffers from to many repeats and you really DON’T need 10 minute tracks to do ambient.

It’s sad because due to this the grade will stay at 6 rather than the higher marks on the rating scale. The sounds are all well selected, the concept feels fresh and exciting, the music is “dark but not to dark”. All good. Anyway, this is really something for all you Ant-Zen and Hymen fans to explore and discover. I will be following this act with great joy. This is the “worth to check-out” album of the month for sure.

Hinterlands is the Technidrome: Krang and Master Shredder’s vehicle for drilling through the subterranean layers of Dimension X, deploying death and destruction along the way in an effort find the ooze. Unfortunately Bebop and Rocksteady aren’t on board; the sounds are strictly minimal and drone-infested. The drums are vacuous; the guitars turned inside-out, boring a bore. There are moments when something feels alive on Hinterlands, but all in all it’s too cold and austere to allow for anything remotely habitable. –Senator Spencer

Following the ‘Backbone’ EP (see Vital Weekly 497), and another which didn’t make it into these pages, there is now a full length by Tokyo Mask, also known as Kostas Karamitas from Greece. Music wise he continues the path taken on ‘Backbone’: deep dubby and trippy rhythms and a throbbing bass, which form the backbone of the compositions, and the guitar, sampler and synthesizer get a more free role. The more loosely organized sounds make the music, the rhythm carries it around. Music that can best be enjoyed in the total dark, to let the scary monsters out in a real big way. Not smooth enough to be a true trip hop album, but more top heavy, and therefore all the more interesting, me thinks. Again, quite good!

I don’t know what I would call this or how I would explain it to someone else, but I liked this disc a lot. Here’s how the website describes the album: “Keeping the basic principles of slow rhythms and deep drones intact, ‘Hinterlands’ adds intricate details and subtleties that reward repeated careful listening. Guitars turned inside-out, mysterious echoes, gloomy drones and minimal dark-hop/dub rhythms are placed around the satisfying rumble of a bass guitar. The minimal approach to composition magnifies each element, turning the slightest change into a radical shift of perspective.” This album relies heavily upon repetition, giving it a kind of hypnotic feel. But this isn’t repetition in a boring kind of way. Drones cycle in and out of the tracks, there is a constant beat that provides a thread of continuity throughout each track as elements (noises, occasional snippets of voice, etc.) surface, only to submerge again into the drones. The music is complex and engaging. If I had to give an album to someone who wanted to get into more experimental music but wasn’t quite ready for noise or more disjointed stuff like Bob Ostertag, I would hand them this disc. This is easily accessible, but interesting even for the difficult listening crowd. The disc weighs in at 50.16. I can’t really say that any of the tracks stood out above the others – they were all quite enjoyable. I would highly recommend this disc to anyone looking for something that tries to break out of the mold.

This album is an impressive heavyweight! ” “Hinterlands” is Tokyo Mask’s newest release and his first album after releasing two EP’s. This album owns a fascinating atmosphere, I would name it “back-Breaking” and this in its positive meaning. The tracks of “Hinterlands” are minimal compostiotions with a fascinating atmosphere. Slow drum rhythms and a perfect played bass guitar build the cadre for these complicated compositions. A fascinating maze of sounds which provoke constantly changing feelings by the listener. The tracks crawl into your mind and isolate you from the world outside. The tracks take control of the listener with their two columns being unintrusive and engaging at once. One of my favorite songs is the ten minute track “Morning Star”... but As I said before the complete album takes control of you so maybe it makes no sense to select one.

A real mighty album with excellent compositions with a special aura. Great music, great atmosphere!

Tokyo Mask, a one man project from Patras, Greece, in this third release of him, seems to follow the same approach. The rhythms are deep and slow, coming from dark passages, and the sounds are swirling and drony creating a dark and full of expectations ambience. Every of the eight tracks of this cd combines a slowly evolving rhythm where new layers add up with a delicate use of delay and travelling ambient sounds which at points seem to become threatening and attacking but at the end never do. I liked almost every track of this cd, although on the other hand i needed a third listening to e able to set some apart. And even then i spotted no great differencies. It is not thta the tracks are much alike; it is more that the same slow tempo, deep and pleasant mood dominates. Which is not bad at all.

Lately I have been reading a lot about the horrors of the first world war, the destruction of “human material” in vast trench-fights, how fighting machines made of flesh and blood had to fight against new weapons like the tank, carpet bombing or gas attacks, being destroyed and crushed without mercy. Moreover the soldiers had to fight not only the enemy, but also destitution, hunger and their own psyche. As a war, the first world war was more terrible than the second in many ways. (Politically and in respects of the civilian victims and the horror of the holocaust the second world war reached new heights of inhumaneness.) From the german title (translated as backlands) and the cover illustrations to the dark and sombre droning trip hop, the first full album of Tokyo Mask aka Kostas Karamitas is a fitting soundtrack to reading about these horrors. That is absolutely not meant to by cynically or insensitive towards the victims of wars, though I can see that to compare music to lectures about different wars could be mistaken for that. Not at all. It is the associations with the atmospheres presented in these compositions that drives the thematic background.

Last time around, with the EP “backbone” (see the thematic evolution in the titles?) the music was likened to post-urban dystopic landscapes, and by all means the eerie and dark effect of the music has deepened and concentrated. The pace is set even slower and more pounding or dragging by some unseen world clock that is ticking of the last minutes of the existence of life on this planet. The first track, “critical mass” starts with a rumbling drone and has some metallic percussions to set in after a minute or so, that will make a lot of people around 35 to 40 years old think about early Cabaret Voltaire, SPK and other industrial bands. World war one was the first “industrial” war as well in many ways, the primal catastrophe of the 20th century. That is to illustrate how serious this music could meant to be. The record moves into more destructed and decaying territory afterwards, with Massive Attack basslines and distant military commander samples, with droning sirens and harshly pounding percussions and drums. The bassdrum of “Oil and stone” might pierce the membranes of your speakers if you ain’t careful. Walls of keyboards and spheres move in and out of the bass/drum-baseline, echoing the screaming dangers and mysterious atrocities done by society.

“hinterlands” is as black and devastated as music can get that still has a rhythm. There is not a single inch of fun or humour inside its bits and bytes. The human element seems to be fighting against the machines, against the horrors, against life itself. If there is such a thing as nihilist trip hop then Tokyo Mask is right at the center. During the course of the album Karamitas peruses the same basic backdrop of harsh drums and dense layers of eerie drones, but he skillfully rearranges the sounds and atmospheres to provide a certain dynamic and change that keeps the listener interested. These changes might be miniscule or big, a little re-arrangement of the mix or a full break in the loop, but they never seem to come at random or meant to break of boredom as with so many other electronic producers. Any track seems to have a basic understanding and structure that it adheres to and all of these are direct functions of the overall basic formula. And this basic formula, for lack of a better word, seems to make the tracks breathe heavily.

If you are amongst those people that prefer to wear black, prefer cold weather to sunshine or stay up late at night regularly, then “hinterlands” could be an interesting choice for your nightly wanderings. With the spring coming in, I wonder where this music comes from. A dark mind or dark heart? Or just the artistic dissatisfaction with what the future is about to bring?

Hinterlands is the name of a very good full-length album by Tokyo Mask out on Low Impedance Recordings a label clearly on a mission and responsible for an achievement in clarity. The eight-track album is a sinister story and is comprised of slow moving tracks filled with heavy beats, electronics and the occasional acoustic element. If any association were viable it would be Seefeel and their blissful Succour album from 1995 and believe me that is not a bad thing. However, Hinterland stands very securely on it’s own two feet (or more) and comes highly recommended. If you are easily frightened maybe you should pass, because the setting is somewhat dystopic. The quality is unquestionable and Low Impedance remains a highly interesting label.

having heard his previous ‘backbone’ ep (released by low impedance), which is one of the two eps that tokyo mask aka kostas karamitas has released before the album ‘hinterlands’, the rhythmic atmosphere that’s present on the ep was expected on the album too. comparing the both releases, can be noted that the atmosphere on the ep is more intense, while on ‘hinterlands’ tokyo mask is developing the music more slowly and patiently. it’s a kind of music with a strong tribal mood and sense, even a bit like a ritual music, that reminds of the ritual scene in the movie ‘eyes wide shut’ and might be suitable for a situation like that. tokyo mask develops the rhythms slowly, while putting the listener in a loop mood, when even the slightest changes have a specific meaning of their own. the roots from where the sound on the album emerges are obviously and clearly in the industrial music and the general atmosphere on the album is very close to industrial music. in almost all of the eight tracks, besides karamitas, there are guest musicians on guitar (manolis melidoniotis) and on bass guitar (kostas kataras). the sound of the bass guitar, for example in ‘morning star’ and ‘oil and stone’, is nicely set as a good background and combined with the other sounds gives a distinctive and diverse dub sensibility to the music. there are obviously more aspects in the sound of this album, but the primary are the rhythmic patterns that are absorbing the listener’s attention and even forming a kind of drone zone, that is lurking from all the beats that are interfering between each other. the intensive atmosphere on the ‘backbone’ ep, here is changed into a more subtle approach to the same rhythmic music with a tribal sensibility, a kind of music which execution tokyo mask has crafted to keep it interesting on this album release and makes it curious enough for wanting to see and experience how this style of music would sound played as a live performance.