Hailing from Budapest in Hungary, Zságer Balázs is new to our blog thanks to his experimental, Avant Garde EP, Sacral Design.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Földi Ádám

There’s a lot of focus on AI at the moment in terms of its practical and creative uses, but what about its spirituality? Zságer Balázs’s new EP, Sacral Design, ponders on the idea that AI could one day create its own mythology, plunging us into a fantastical world that doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.

Its story unfolds over four tracks, each showing us a different side of Zságer’s inimitable and pioneering sound. Stigma starts things off, building slowly through haunting, ethereal layers and touches of static. It climaxes powerfully before ending with some lingering, isolated electronic notes.

Inferno Haze feels like machines speaking to one another. Offbeat textures combine with an atmospheric, cinematic backdrop. The track drones, never letting up in its ambience.

It’s followed by God is Granular which introduces ghostly snatches of vocals into the electronic soundscape, emphasising the holy nature of the concept. Close your eyes and you’re transported to some kind of digital church. It comes complete with a video directed by Kati Katona which sees dust particles move and pulsate to the track’s overlapping rhythms in a way that’s completely hypnotic.

The EP saves the best for last. Holy Algorithm takes things to another plane of existence, starting out low and rumbling before building with ecclesiastical layers, subtle percussion, and distorted bass. It captures and articulates the message of the EP so profoundly, without words, that I couldn’t help but be moved by it.

Zságer has been pushing the boundaries of music since the early 2000s and is the mastermind behind Žagar. His debut solo album, Aqua Obscura, arrived in 2024. I love the concept of his new EP which proves as pleasant as it is thought-provoking. I’m not sure anyone has caught the essence of our digital age in sonic form so well. With it, he is proving himself a master of the Avant Garde, and truly one of my favourite discoveries for awhile. It’s not art for arts sake, but something that deals with modern issues directly, all while giving us a fresh perspective on it all.

Perhaps machines will eventually take over, and perhaps they’ll show the same compassion and love of which we are capable.

Sacral Design is out now and you can give it a listen below.

Supported by Musosoup #SustainableCurator