As one year has gone by since the passing of electronic artist Microlith, some of the veteran names on the local scene have collaborated to create an album that celebrates his life and work. Johnathan Cilia finds out more.

Just over a year ago, the young artist Microlith, known as Rhys Cyleste to his friends and family, lost his life after a quad bike accident in Mosta.

His passing hit the Maltese electronic scene hard. A quiet, cerebral man, his persona combined with his melodic take on techno mixed with elements of acid, electro and IDM left quite an impression on listeners.

Microlith had released four albums and three EPs in the last few years, and his work ethic was well known. In the wake of his death, local musicians, spearheaded by producers like Sonitus Eco and Acidulant, pledged to release a tribute album – [HRSVA001] In Memory Of Microlith – to honour the Maltese artist.

“I had this idea and I reached out to Acidulant, since he was a close friend of Rhys,” says Justin Meli, aka Sonitus Eco.

“We put out a public call, gave a deadline and pulled together a group of 24 Maltese artists.

“We decided to release the album through my label Haar Records since it is already stable as a label and has contacts and distribution,” he continued. “The compilation is not focused on one particular style; we let everyone do as they felt was best, which is what Rhys would have wanted.

“We’ve practically been working on this from when he died. Since it has so many tracks and I did the mastering myself, it took a bit of time and then we decided to release it for the anniversary,” he said.

With the proceeds of the album going towards Electronic Music Malta to be used for community projects, In Memory Of Microlith is a tribute worthy of the artist it honours.

The album features 30 tracks, and explores all the genres that contributed to create the unique Microlith sound. Listening to the album, one cannot help but feel sombre. Layers of emotion piled on top of more emotion and feelings of fleetingness and loss encompass the album from end to end.

Tracks like Kien Ikun by Dar Dra and Elusive by Fabricka really play this feeling up to full effect, leaving the listener wondering if there is more. Taking it up a notch with a similar vibe is Cloned’s Shyr, a downtempo production with slight elements of acid that makes great use of space. It makes one feel like they are lost in the galaxy.

At other times, one would be fooled into thinking that they were listening to a live band. The production of Andrew Magro’s Celestial Skies gave the impression of being in a room with a band with instruments and someone on the keyboard. The track also had an interesting rising energy over a constant beat, before rising in a crescendo and fading away.

We’ve practically been working on this from when he died

Similarly, Electronic Travellers’ 3 wouldn’t sound out of place at an indie gig, with a lot of the instruments resembling a live bands’ sound, albeit with a brighter sound.

Misleadingly starting in a darkened area only to quickly open up into a vividly bright experience, Ed Blank’s Star Matter might be one of the highlights of the album. Constantly pulsing forward, with some interesting digital sounds and effects thrown in for good measure.

Similarly, Hail Blk’s The Understatement should be a hit with the local crowd. One of the more straightforward dance tracks on the album, it is interestingly upbeat yet still fitting into the album’s theme.

The racing tempo on The Light by Luke Duncan keeps the listener hooked, and will also work well in a live set. The track makes good use of ambient sounds, with some effects seemingly straight out of a psytrance song.

There’s also a softer side to the album. Darren Borg’s Life Without Behind is a sentimental, airy track that hints at IDM, just like many of Microlith’s releases. Jupiter Jax’s That Time (When You Had Nothing To Say) is a moving track, and might move some listeners to tears at times.

Taking the melodic nature of the album to its peak may be Mutex’s The Emptiness You Left, with its near lullaby-esque qualities.

And Daniel Simler’s Never End is another interesting production, with a melodic and clean production quality that even features a unexpected jazzy section around the middle.

The soft IDM vibe mixed with a tinge of acid on Multifunctional’s Acceptance also shows the more emotional side to Microlith’s persona and memory. Owen Jay’s Blue is another interesting track – it would be suitable to play at any chillout session, but it also features some really cool kick drum play.

However, there are also some larger-than-life tracks. Null’s Through The Shadows Of An Echo wouldn’t be out of place on a futuristic video game/film’s soundtrack.

Towards the end of the album, the IDM influence really begins to show, such as on Vaital’s Untitled Dreams.

The album ends with Wayne Works’ Broken Keys, a suitably titled track that encompasses what the album was always meant to mean. Pulsating, broken at times, but re-emerging stronger than ever – Microlith’s legacy has started on a powerful note.

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