CRISTALLIN – So Dense It Got Transparent

A full decade lies between the EPs Core and So Dense It Got Transparent. It was a decade of recalibration for composer Simeon Sigg, but also a time of maturation. And now, with his project CRISTALLIN, the Zurich-based artist is uncorking a clear and potent potion.

**The cover of** **So Dense It Got Transparent**

The EP So Dense It Got Transparent, released on 3 October, has a distinct signature, smelling of the first autumn wind. The songs condense, disintegrate into transparent shells, break apart and reassemble. They oscillate in a liminal space between human warmth and ethereal rapture.

‌Warm Glacier Landscapes

In just over a quarter of an hour, however, CRISTALLIN creates an outstanding bouquet for the senses: Cascade opens the spectacle with gentle textures that unfold discreetly in the background and chords that are almost aggressive in comparison. Already here, the melodic motif of Backdrop is hinted at, flitting over these warm glacier landscapes.

Backdrop itself carries us away from the icy mainland into the stormy sea. But while the waves rage outside and dark clouds complete the threatening scene, the song finds peace and gentle resignation in a thoughtful melody. The desire to escape reality that characterises Backdrop leads to confrontation: the inevitable brutality of climate change. The suffering caused by the pursuit of power. And one’s own role in those very power structures. But also to the self-awareness of a lost existence in a tumultuous world: „I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time.“

Backdrop constantly compresses and expands: from quiet to loud, from intimacy to overwhelming grandeur. There are moments of pause, even silence.

Dream Pop Soul Steeped in Hip-Hop

Disruptor, the third track on the EP, is different: more consistent, more strongly influenced by melancholic vocals, underscored by a reduced beat. Here, what was already hinted at in Backdrop becomes clear. The appeal of these tracks stems from the contrast between CRISTALLIN’s soulful voice, the crackling breakbeat framework and the melodious synth playfulness. No wonder Disruptor sounds like dream pop soul dipped in hip-hop.

**CRISTALLIN delivers a sometimes truly outstanding EP**. Credits: provided

This feeling is reinforced once again with Rockfall and its beat. Like Backdrop, this piece expands only to retreat again. At this point, at the latest, I begin to explore my familiarity with the sound of CRISTALLIN. I rummage through my memory, dig through my music collection. But after a while, I gave up, almost empty-handed. The only connection I can make is to Hugo Trist, who also displays this combination of dreaminess and danceability in songs like Understand Me Now or Rest a While. Although CRISTALLIN feels much gentler.

But perhaps the familiarity with CRISTALLIN simply comes from the fact that Backdrop has been in my favourites for weeks.

Soft and Hard

So Dense It Got Transparent closes with two starkly contrasting songs. Spin meanders between a sweet ballad and urgent longing. It is the most polished track on the EP, playing it safe. It is actually a classic final track on an EP that is as playful and experimental as So Dense It Got Transparent.
But this honour belongs to Respire, a purely instrumental song. It feels almost more like an idea, a sketch, than a finished track. A loud, booming beat shatters the melodic beauty that you’re still revelling in after Spin. A brief moment of ethereal curiosity, only to fall back into the harshness of the hammering, while a melody circles almost inaudibly in the background. Respire inevitably pulls you back from the enchanted world and back to reality.

So Dense It Got Transparent is sometimes outstanding. Backdrop and Rockfall are magnificent electronica compositions with their own unique signature. Songs that unfold slowly, make bold decisions and give you the feeling that you are witnessing something extraordinary. Disruptor and Spin are more accessible, leaning more towards classic song structures. Framed by two instrumentals, this EP is a powerful and magical experience: a 16-minute escape from everyday restlessness into meditative introspection.