Involved

Invovledpointed, focused, and atmospherically perfect… such ethereal, textured atmospheres make you never want to leave” – The Power of Metal

Involved fuse the psychedelic sounds of ’70s kosmische with ’80s electronic and more modern ambient styles, creating evocative, cinematic music. However, rather than being revisionist, the duo curate fresh sounds from a musical palette that spans 40 years. Lush synth tones are deployed with an innate sense of melody, leading the listener through widescreen narratives of enviable scope. On debut album Revolving Maze, the title says it all: this is complex, engrossing music that transforms with each spin.

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Discography

 
 

Revolving Maze

 

September 2014

 

On their debut album Revolving Maze, Involved fuse the psychedelic sounds of ’70s kosmische with ’80s electronic and more modern ambient styles, creating evocative, cinematic music. However, rather than being revisionist, the duo curate fresh sounds from a musical palette that spans 40 years. Lush synth tones are deployed with an innate sense of melody, leading the listener through widescreen narratives of enviable scope. With Revolving Maze, the title says it all: this is complex, engrossing music that transforms with each spin.

 
 

Machiavella (Single)

 

August 2014

 

‘Machiavella’ is the new freely downloadable single by electronic duo Involved, taken from their forthcoming album Revolving Maze (19 September, 2014). On ‘Machiavella’, Involved open the curtains to a widescreen electronic classic. One part ’90s IDM gravitas, one part cosmic electronica, one part driving sci-fi soundtrack, the song pulses with drama and ambience across its five-and-a-half-minute run time.

 
 

Implant

 

September 2013

 

Implant is Involved’s debut EP. Containing the buoyant title track and the wonderfully dreamy momentum of  ‘Impure’, the EP acts as the perfect taster for the band’s forthcoming debut album Revolving Maze (19 September, 2014).

 
 

 

Biography

Involved is an international collaboration between Joe Dorsey (Until Sunrise, Ocean Architecture) and Reivilo Enoignor (Battlestations). The collaboration arose after Joe discovered and fell in love with Battlestations’ 2012 album A Cold Embrace. Joe contacted the band and sent them some of his previous work, Reivilo replied, and the Involved project was born.

Involved’s influences vary widely, including Tangerine Dream, Pet Shop Boys, Massive Attack, Cult of Luna, Anathema and Ulver. Their debut album Revolving Maze was constructed in fragments, with Joe and Reivilo sharing ideas and sounds entirely over the internet. Reivilo (keyboards, electronics, production) would send the basis for a track, and Joe (vocals, keyboards, production) would flesh out the melodies and add instrumental colour. They independently released the Implant EP in September 2013, and completed Revolving Maze in November 2013.

News

  • Hidden Shoal in Textura’s Ten Favourite Labels of 2018 List!

    Hidden ShoalHidden Shoal is incredibly honoured to have been selected as one of Textura’s Ten Favourite Labels of 2018. Textura is, in our opinion, the premiere new music magazine and favourite of the label team for unearthing and exposing new and exciting new music. This is the second time Hidden Shoal has been selected in Textura’s best labels list and as always we are nestled against some other very special labels, all of who you should check out.

    Now for a very brief and unnecessary acceptance speech – we are nothing without our incredible roster of artists, who continually amaze, inspire and surprise us. Thank you all!

     

     

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  • Eat Your Friends: A Hidden Shoal 10th Anniversary Compilation

    Eat Your FriendsHidden Shoal is excited to end the celebration of its 10th year of existence with the new compilation album Eat Your Friends, comprising remixes and covers of Hidden Shoal artists, by Hidden Shoal artists. This freely downloadable album not only showcases the wealth of original music released through Hidden Shoal, but also the creative ingenuity and deft musical touch of the remixers and cover artists.

    From searing solar-flared adaptations to delicately reconstructed covers, deep space jam reworkings, and shimmering ambient tapestries, Eat Your Friends reimagines the Hidden Shoal discography in new and beautiful ways, playing to all the strengths of the roster’s dizzying array of talent.

    Includes remixes and covers by: Antonymes, Arc Lab, Glanko, Wayne Harriss, Liminal Drifter, Makee, Chloe March, Markus Mehr, Erik Nilsson, REW<<, Slow Dancing Society, Tin Manzano, Willem Gator, and Zealous Chang  of music by: Arc Lab, Brother Earth, Cheekbone, City of Satellites, Medard Fischer, Gilded, Glanko & Daniel Bailey, Kryshe, Memorybell, Erik Nilsson, perth, Slow Dancing Society, Tangled Star, Umpire, and Zealous Chang.

    Eat Your Friends is available now as a free download via Bandcamp and is also streamable via SoundCloud. Listen and then throw yourself into the wormhole as you explore the originals and more work by the remixers and cover artists.  For all the filmmakers, games designers and others in need of engaging music, don’t forget that all tracks in our catalogue are available for licensing (film, tv, games, compilations etc).

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  • Hidden Shoal is 10!

    Hidden ShoalHidden Shoal is extremely excited to be celebrating its 10th birthday this month. It’s hard to believe that back in May 2006, Perth-based musicians Cam Merton, Stuart Medley and Malcolm Riddoch began Hidden Shoal Recordings as a means to put out releases by local artists. Tim Clarke, based in Melbourne, joined the team in 2007. Hidden Shoal has since gone on to become a much-loved independent label and publisher, releasing over 120 albums from a diverse range of international artists and licensing music from its catalogue across film, tv, web and compilation.

    Stay tuned for special anniversary announcements in the coming months!

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  • Stunning New Sci-fi Film Noir Music Video for Involved

    Involved 'Radiation Leak'We’re excited to present the stunning new 3D animated music video for Involved‘s ‘Radiation Leak’, taken from their 2014 debut Revolving Maze. The video, created by Hidden Shoal’s Cam Merton, is a brooding sci-fi film noir set piece featuring ghostly silhouettes wandering through a smoke-filled city of glittering skyscrapers and glassy plazas. What at first seems graceful, peaceful and organised, soon appears menacing, like watching a sleepwalking populace trapped within a futuristic cage.

    Involved’s Revolving Maze fuses the psychedelic sounds of ’70s kosmische with ’80s electronic and more modern ambient styles, creating evocative, cinematic music. However, rather than being revisionist, the duo curate fresh sounds from a musical palette that spans 40 years. Lush synth tones are deployed with an innate sense of melody, leading the listener through widescreen narratives of enviable scope. This is complex, engrossing music that transforms with each spin.

    Check out the video at YouTube and Vimeo, and stream and buy Revolving Maze here.

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  • Kryshe and Involved Featured on Fade To Yellow

    The wonderful Fade To Yellow radio show hosted by Tam Laird on Koop 91.7FM has just featured new music from Kryshe and Involved on its latest episode along with beautiful new tunes from Anjou, This Will Destroy You and Dryft. Head to the show’s Mixcloud to stream the show in full.

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  • Glowing Reviews for Involved’s “Revolving Maze”

    Revolving MazeInvolved’s stunning debut album Revolving Maze has scooped some equally beautiful reviews since its release. The album has recently been covered by Igloo Mag, the Italian Blog Music Will Not Save You, the French zine Indie Rock Mag and The Sunday Experience. Here’s a little taste,

    “The whole ensemble goes beyond the mere sum of its sounds, as if something of an almost shamanic nature emanated out of it. There are clearly more ideas in one Involved title then in certain whole discographies from largely overestimated artists from that genre. No matter, we’ll delight ourselves with Revolving Maze, an album that will clearly require many listen sessions to perceive its richness and subtlety. A masterpiece, right from the first album.”Indie Rock Mag

    “Dorsey and Enoignor have created a multilayered and vigorous debut album full of luminosity and liquid elasticity.”Igloo Mag

    an alluring and dare I say beguiling slice of porcelain primed future visions that blends together a panoramic precision with a statuesque soundtrack velour whilst splicing together the cold wave dystopia of Vangelis’ ‘blade runner’ with the silken symphonia of  the ‘adjustment bureau’ soundtrack to sumptuously morph from kosmiche chill to spectral romance in one trick of the ear apparition like movement.” – The Sunday Experience

    Head to Involved’s Bandcamp to stream the album in full and grab yourself a copy.

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  • Involved’s “Revolving Maze” Out Now!

    Revolving MazeWe’re super excited to announce the release of Revolving Maze, the debut album by electronic duo Involved. We’ve been spinning this album non-stop since we first got sent the demos so it’s wonderful to finally be able to share it. The album also joins the Hidden Shoal licensing catalogue, available for film, tv, web and games productions.

    The album fuses the psychedelic sounds of ’70s kosmische with ’80s electronic and more modern ambient styles, creating evocative, cinematic music. However, rather than being revisionist, Involved curate fresh sounds from a musical palette that spans 40 years. Lush synth tones are deployed with an innate sense of melody, leading the listener through widescreen narratives of enviable scope. With Revolving Maze, the title says it all: this is complex, engrossing music that transforms with each spin.

    “Through solid musicianship, on both the parts of Dorsey and Enoignor, Involved has breached new ground. Their skilled playing and production paired with an immensely imaginative vision translated into fifty minutes of music that seems designed to find that beautiful put into each of us.”Lady Obscure

    Through solid musicianship, on both the parts of Dorsey and Enoignor, Involved has breached new ground. Their skilled playing and production paired with an immensely imaginative vision translated into fifty minutes of music that seems designed to find that beautiful put into each of us. – See more at: http://www.ladyobscure.com/albums/involved-revolving-maze/#sthash.95ZwFqbY.dpuf

    Head to Involved’s Bandcamp to scoop yourself a copy of this stunning album right now. The album will also be available via iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and the other usual outlets in a few weeks.

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  • Involved at Schallgrenzen & Fragile or Possibly Extinct

    MachiavellaInvolved’s amazing new single, ‘Machiavella‘, from their forthcoming debut Revolving Maze (19th September) has recently been posted at the wonderful German blog Schallgrenzen and Fragile or Possibly Extinct (the lovely folks from The Silent Ballet). Schallgrenzen gave it track of the day status and had this to say,

    “Dramatic, sweeping wide-screen electronica and swirling Sci-Fi of Involved. I liked the track “Machiavella” from the first note. Exciting inner cinema music. Joseph Dorsey and Reivilo Enoignor are Involved are from Texas and beyond with this enveloping cosmic force from their debut album “Revolving Maze” on indie label Hidden Shoal .” – Schallgrenzen

    ‘Machiavella’ is available now as a free download via Bandcamp. Revolving Maze drops on the 19th September 2014.

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  • New Involved Single – Stream + Download

    The beautiful lead single from Involved‘s forthcoming debut album Revolving Maze is upon us! On ‘Machiavella’, Involved open the curtains to a widescreen electronic classic. One part ’90s IDM gravitas, one part cosmic electronica, one part driving sci-fi soundtrack, the song pulses with drama and ambience across its five-and-a-half-minute run time.

    Download the single via  Bandcamp or stream it at SoundCloud. Involved’s stunning debut, Revolving Maze, drops on the 19th September. Check out more on Involved here.

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  • Involved Sign to Hidden Shoal

    InvolvedWe’re extremely excited to welcome electronica duo Involved to the Hidden Shoal family. Involved fuse the psychedelic sounds of ’70s kosmische with ’80s electronic and more modern ambient styles, creating evocative, cinematic music. However, rather than being revisionist, the duo curate fresh sounds from a musical palette that spans 40 years. Lush synth tones are deployed with an innate sense of melody, leading the listener through widescreen narratives of enviable scope. On forthcoming debut album Revolving Maze, the title says it all: this is complex, engrossing music that transforms with each spin.

    The first single from Revolving Maze will drop on the 18th of August with the album following on the 19th of September. Their 2013 debut EP Implant is also available now from Bandcamp. We’re also very excited to have both album and EP join the Hidden Shoal licensing and publishing catalogue.

    Be sure to sign up to the Hidden Shoal mailing list or subscribe to our news feed to keep updated.


    Involved – ‘Impure’ (taken from the 2103 Implant EP)

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Reviews

  • Involved “Revolving Maze” Reviewed at Leonard’s Lair

    “Informed by four decades of electronic music and aiming to “curate fresh sounds” from the genre, Maryland’s Joe Dorsey and Korea-based Reivilo Enoignor have set their targets high on their first album as Involved. What follows is fifty minutes of soundtrack-worthy material which demonstrates two composers finding fertile common ground via their remote connections.

    In an early statement of the dark cinematic feel to the record, ‘Ingress’ introduces shadowy synths and rolling piano and ends with a Kraftwerk-esque melody, then the single ‘Machiavella’ augments the consistently lush keyboards with ghostly female vocals samples and motorik beats. Yet just as the album starts to feel slightly flat after the subdued, morose ‘Radiation Leak’, ‘Inner Spaces’ and ‘Angular’ locates the perfect space between busy electronica and a sense of light and optimism. Further special moments follow, in particular the chilling title track, populated by subtle but seductive key changes and enigmatic ambience; fully justifying its nine minute length. Meanwhile, ‘Patient’ is as suitably epic and energising as the finale ‘Egress’ is soothing and elegant.

    ‘Revolving Maze’ isn’t quite as dynamic as the title suggests but every moment here is appropriate filmic. Unusually, the more complex and intricate the track is, the more memorable (not to mention involving!) it becomes. So it’s another worthwhile cross-continental collaboration then.”

    Leaonard’s Lair

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  • Involved “Revolving Maze” at Indie Rock Mag

    “Best Albums of 2014 – A remotely composed album  between an American and a Belgian trading their material only on the Internet, Revolving Maze overcomes borders on multiple dimensions. Mixing cinematic compositions ala Craig Armstrong, trip-hop, IDM, ambient and krautrock.”

    Indie Rock Mag

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  • Involved ‘Radiation Leak’ Reviewed at The Revue

    “Today I’m sharing a new video for a really cool electronic driven instrumental track from the international duo Involved. I don’t share a lot of videos unless it’s the only way to share a song, but sometimes the artistic element of a video plus the mood of the song comes together and creates something really cool. The new video for Involved’s “Radiation Leak” is just that so I’m writing a little about it and sharing.

    The video for “Radiation Leak” was created by Hidden Shoal’s Cam Merton and is a brooding sci-fi noir set piece featuring ghostly silhouettes wandering through a smoke-filled city of glittering skyscrapers and glassy plazas. What at first seems graceful, peaceful and organised, soon appears menacing, like watching a sleepwalking populace trapped within a futuristic cage.

    Involved is an international collaboration of Joe Dorsey (Until Sunrise, Ocean Architecture) and Reivilo Enoignor (Battlestations). They collaborated entirely over the internet and produced their album Revolving Maze in 2013 but was just recently released on Hidden Shoal last fall.

    Revolving Maze is a great collection of darker electronic driven tracks that are also soothing in a weird way. I am happy to share the video and I’m also sharing another favorite track from the album titled “Machiavella“. If you dig instrumental tracks that are more on the electronic side, Involved is for you.”

    The Revue

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  • Involved ‘Machiavella’ Reviewed at Luna Kafe

    “Involved is a duo from Planet Earth / Outer Space. Well, the duo formed in late 2012, as an international effort between Joe Dorsey from the USA (Dorsey lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, but he hails from Frederick, Maryland) and Reivilo Enoignor hails… from Pyongyang, North Korea!? No, can’t be so? My guess is Brussels, Belgium, as he (Enoignor, that is) used to be in a band called Battlestations (based in Brussels). Joe Dorsey (formerly of Until Sunrise, and Ocean Architecture) discovered and fell in love with Battlestations’ 2012 album, In A Cold Embrace. So, Joe got in touch with Battlestations, and he sent some of his previous work. Reivilo Enoignor replied, and the Involved project was born. So the story goes. Involved is a true international, internet-based collaboration between Dorsey (on keyboards, guitar, vocals/vocoder, production) and Enoignor (keyboards, electronics, programming/production, vocoder). Inter-Atlantic. Intergalactic.

    Involved’s influences vary widely, including Tangerine Dream, Pet Shop Boys, Massive Attack, Cult of Luna, Anathema and (Norwegians) Ulver. Where Enoignor namedrops Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Yellow Magic Orchestra, lots of soundtracks and past masters, Dorsey drops Vangelis, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Battlestations, Aphex Twin, Massive Attack, and Portishead as well. The twosome finsihed their debut album, Revolving Maze last November (they put out Implant EP, Hidden Shoal, in September 2013), but the album’s not released until 19th September 2014. The first taster is “Machiavella”, which is a fascinating piece of music. Dark ambience, a bit on the dramatic side, heavy on the synth. It’s an atmospheric, cosmic vibe, and the track is sort of semi-scary. Yes, the Tangerine Dream (and/or Vangelis) link is quite clear. I get these teenage flashbacks, when I listened a lot to TD (and Vangelis). Hidden Shoal describe the duo to: “…fuse the psychedelic sounds of ’70s kosmische with ’80s electronic and more modern ambient styles, creating evocative, cinematic music.” Which is a good description. A bit on the side; ‘Machiavellianism’ means (according to the Oxford English Dictionary): “…the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct”. The words ‘cunning’ and ‘duplicity’ could both be tagged as keywords when trying to describe Involved’s musical world. File under ‘cool and scary’, ‘the sound of sci-fi’, and make sure you check out the pulse of Revolving Maze.”

    Luna Kafe

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  • Involved ‘Machiavella’ Reviewed at The Sunday Experience

    Now this quite sublime and has us back in the chill tipped confines of the hidden shoal imprint, this comes prized from the debuting full length ’revolving maze’ from duo involved entitled ‘Machiavella’ – an alluring and dare I say beguiling slice of porcelain primed future visions that blends together a panoramic precision with a statuesque soundtrack velour whilst splicing together the cold wave dystopia of Vangelis’ ‘blade runner’ with the silken symphonia of  the ‘adjustment bureau’ soundtrack to sumptuously morph from kosmiche chill to spectral romance in one trick of the ear apparition like movement. Expect fond words for the album when we get to it.

    The Sunday Experience

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  • Involved “Revolving Maze” Reviewed at Indie Rock Mag

    [Translated from the French via Google. Read the original here.]

    “Just one year after a 12′ title Implant (not nearly as successful as the album in the spotlight today), the Belgian-American duo Involved deliver with Revolving Maze a masterpiece on this, their debut album.

    In 2012, Joey Dorsey , residing in Maryland, falls under the spell of “A Cold Embrace”, the album by Battlestations aka Reivilo Enoignor . He then contacted him and offered him a partnership. Thus the project Involved was born with both artists sharing their compositions and edits only via internet.

    It must be said that members of the duo had common influences, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream in mind. If we add to that the attractiveness of claimed Reivilo Enoignor for various BOs quality and that of Joe Dorsey for the trip-hop scene / 90s IDM ( Aphex Twin , Massive Attack and Portishead ), so that we can be convinced of the good taste of the duo.

    That said, if we call these influences, it is not so much to assess their relevance, but because these sources are a real echo in Involved’s music . From krautrock to Kraftwerk (Revolving Maze) filmic atmospheres to Craig Armstrong (Patient), through IDM sounds ( Machiavella ), trip-hop ( Tumult ) or even ambient ( Angular and Egress ). Revolving Maze is a disc brimming with ideas.

    And if the holistic locate the tendency of nature to be greater than the sum of their parts together, it can not be here to rally to their cause. Revolving Maze is not a disc under the influence (s) and any complexity comes from the wealth of crossings synthetic layers from various directions. The whole ensemble goes beyond the mere sum of its sounds, as if something of an almost shamanic nature emanated out of it. There are clearly more ideas in one Involved title then in certain whole discographies from largely overestimated artists from that genre. No matter, we’ll delight ourselves with Revolving Maze, an album that will clearly require many listen sessions to perceive its richness and subtlety. A masterpiece, right from the first album.”

    Indie Rock Mag

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  • Involved “Revolving Maze” Reviewed at Igloo Mag

    “We all need to escape reality sometimes. For some of us often consuming a good Sci-Fi book or movie does the trick. We dive in, and for a certain period of time forget about everything else, it’s just us and the fantasy, time ceases to exist. The adventure sucks us in, we become immersed in mystery and wonder. In recent years many retro-infused ambient electronica albums have hit the musical sphere, some more successful than others, but not many hold that sense of adventure, that epic thrill. Revolving Maze, the debut album by the new international duo, Involved, is one of the more successful ’70s/’80s retro-infused ambient electronica albums that also hold a true sense of a Sci-Fi adventure.

    Even though Revolving Maze falls into that resurrecting, synth-soaked corner of the musical sphere, it doesn’t sound like a tribute album. In fact, it has a very distinctive personality influenced both by pioneers, like Tangerine Dream and Jean Michel Jarre, and more modern-day luminaries, like Massive Attack, Anathema and Ulver. What we have here is a refreshing retro-style sonic tapestry highly capable of igniting the imagination. The eleven tracks reflect an alluring dialogue between lush sinister drifts and sweeping majestic bursts. Synth streams hypnotically spiral and stretch out, sometimes ominously, sometimes brightly and fiercely. Darkness and light beautifully collide. Dynamic beat construction often assertively leads the way, and enchanting, airy chants occasionally emerge and spread out like ghostly waves.

    Joe Dorsey (of Until Sunrise and Ocean Architecture) and Reivilo Enoignor (of Battlestations) are the two minds behind Involved. In this collaborative effort both of them are in charge of keyboards, electronics and production, while Dorsey also contributes vocals. Kyle Standifer (from Ocean Architecture) contributes supporting vocals on “Machiavella” and “Clinic.” Dorsey is currently based in the U.S. while Enoignor is in Belgium. Press release states: Revolving Maze was constructed in fragments, with Joe and Reivilo sharing ideas and sounds entirely over the internet.” Dorsey and Enoignor have created a multilayered and vigorous debut album full of luminosity and liquid elasticity. At times things get almost symphonic, but never pretentious or too grandiose. Another excellent release from the lovely, multifaceted Australia-based imprint.”

    Igloo Mag

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  • Involved “Revolving Maze” Reviewed at Music Will Not Save You

    [Translated from the Italian via Google. Read the original here.]

    “The timeless red line of the psychedelic seventies and the recent (re) discovery of synthetic futuristic worlds meet in collaborative project Involved in the same manner in which it transferred across the Atlantic Ocean with Joe Dorsey (Until Sunrise, Ocean Architecture ) and the Belgian Reivilo Enoignor (Battlestations).

    Dense dark and anguished as dark waves, but also by brush strokes of visionary colors, the eleven tracks of “Revolving Maze” are the result of a highly composite inspiration , in which the sensitivity of the two artists recombine seamlessy, manifesting in a ‘ hybrid mixture of cosmic trails, pulsing and synthetic reverbed dreamscapes.The album passes through the claustrophobic single “Machiavella” to the environmental fading of the title track and “Angular” and the sinuous twists of “Tumult”, the latter almost a shoegaze song in key (retro-) futurist mode .

    In parallel to the solid wall of sound that forms the backdrop of almost all the songs, the keyboards also define groove buttons that deviate tracks such as “Radiation Leak” and “Patient” toward a more vibrant and even carefree feel. It is, however, a minority of  songs in the course of work, they reveal precisely the plurality of arrays of expression which is inspired by the project Involved, articulated both in cosmic dust from the beginnings of electronic music as in synthetic temptations of more direct ancestry eighties. From the fusion of these elements there is drawn such an original sound, not at all captivated by nostalgia but perfectly placed in an attitude that pays homage to the past, reworking, an operation in which every admirer of acid travel sci-fi can say that Dorsey and Enoignor succeed with respectful passion.”

    Music Will Not Save You

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  • Involved “Revolving Maze” Reviewed at The Power of Metal

    “Sometimes, there are albums that really get you excited for the future. The debut album from Involved is one such work of art that really raises my expectations and gives me great hope for this project in the future. Involved is an electronic post-rock project created by Joe Dorsey (keyboardist for Ocean Architecture) and Reivilo Enoignor. As you can probably guess, this is an international relationship that has come together to create some great music.

    If there’s one thing that sets Involved apart from the post-rock crowd, it would be their sheer sense of style. Yes, this whole album has personality to it that most bands in this genre lack. The music is electronic-based, but features plenty of instruments, such as synth, piano, and guitars. Similarly to this year’s excellent release from Teeth of the Sea, Involved utilizes the instruments extremely well. There is never an absence of melody or purpose. It never wanders aimlessly. Involved’s brand of post-rock is pointed, focused, and atmospherically perfect. Seriously, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a post-rock album that features such ethereal, textured atmospheres that make you never want to leave. For example, “Inner Spaces” has a light, airy ambiance that draws you in perfectly.

    Indeed, I’m extremely impressed with the constant keyboard melody in the background that feels so organic and just right. It waxes and wanes with the music, and climaxes with height and vigor. Thoughtful, poignant, and moving; the music has a great pace and an excellent tone. In these moments, you can really hear the influence of soundtracks on this band. Indeed, I can hear the influence of the Deus Ex video game soundtrack clearly, but also the influence of Tangerine Dream and maybe even The Book of Eli soundtrack. Regardless, this album is highly original and masterfully presented.

    There are some incredible tracks on “Revolving Maze”. My favorite is “Tumult” with its piano passages near the end, but I also love “Patient”, “Inner Spaces”, “Ingress”, and “Egress”. The whole album is worthwhile, however, with jaw-dropping melodies and incredible composition. I’m truly impressed with the pensive, exquisite music that these two artists have created, and I am excited to hear the celestial masterpieces they will most definitely create in the future.”

    The Power of Metal

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  • Involved “Revolving Maze” Reviewed at Lady Obscure

    “Today, the sense of beautiful in my soul was awoken by something different, unique, and truly wondrous. An ethereal musical landscape painted with emotions on a windblown gossamer landscape. The subject of today’s review is the album Revolving Maze by the two man musical project Involved.

    Formed in late 2012, Involved is an international effort between Joe Dorsey from Tennessee, USA, and Reivilo Enoignor from Pyongyang, Korea. Dorsey does keyboard duties for Ocean Architecture, a progressive metal outfit out of Tennessee whose debut album made a serious splash (and a hell of an impression on this reviewer) in 2012. He also plays guitar and keyboards for Until Sunrise, a prog/post rock band out of Frederick, Maryland. Enoignor plays keyboards for Battlestations, an experimental/post rock band based in Brussels, Belgium. For involved, the two gentlemen bring all their talents in keyboards and musical production to the table to create something that is truly unique.

    Now I feel the effect of the music here is the most important side of it. There is no story to follow, nor any mission to be fulfilled, but only an atmosphere being created. In the first minute or so, I was trying to wrap my head around what was going on, but as they ever so subtly layered the sounds upon each other, they dragged me unsuspectingly into the music. Soon I was in its embrace, akin to being in a warm bed on a very cold morning. Awake, but so lost in the warmth that the rest of the world didn’t really exist. Using a central keyboard theme to each of the eleven tracks as a base, the two musicians work their magic in myriad magical ways to give a soul to the simple beat that each piece is constructed around. Each song is like a segment of life, with a birth, a development and rise, a phase of maturity and strength, and a slow fading into the ether. Through the multitude of keyboard and electronic instruments, some traditional instruments, and some added atmospheric vocals, Dorsey and Enoignor skillfully layer together eleven unique landscapes to get lost in.

    The range of music isn’t limited to soft though, some of the songs build in a rather industrial fashion, not to a point of brashness or anything like that, but they have a pointed intensity to them. Patient is one such track, bringing to mind the actual process of being patient. The inner turmoil of waiting for whatever event to happen, the rambling thoughts and wandering emotions that go along with the wait, the whole vibe and feel of being patient, is transcribed musically, and brilliantly so. Inner Spaces seems to jounce playfully around until settling into a groove of beauty, only to jounce out again. Tumult has a repressed quality about it, being smooth on the surface with a sensed furor underneath that never seems to come out. Each of the songs plays out like this, but I’m sure the experience will be different for each individual. Like a song with loosely written lyrics, Involved leaves it up to the listener to decide where they want the music to take them. Living up to their name, they make the listener involved, in an ever so intimate fashion.

    Through solid musicianship, on both the parts of Dorsey and Enoignor, Involved has breached new ground. Their skilled playing and production paired with an immensely imaginative vision translated into fifty minutes of music that seems designed to find that beautiful put into each of us.”

    Lady Obscure

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Press Releases

No press releases yet, sorry!

Artist Photos

 

Music Videos

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Licensing

Involved’s music is  available for licensing (master & sync cleared) through Hidden Shoal. Please contact us with some basic details about your project and the track(s) you wish to use and we’ll be sure to get back to you straight away.