Press/Reviews
Michael Doherty's Music Log
"Ekko the Strange The Strange is the project of one man, who wrote, performed and produced the music on this new album, Mystique. The music has a dark, electronic sound, with some noticeable 1980s influences. It also has an interesting power, this music quickly getting a strong grasp on the listeners, and then taking them on an unusual journey. Part of the inspiration came from Ekko’s time in Warsaw, Poland, a city that was destroyed during World War II and had to be rebuilt afterward, creating a new identity for itself. That seems to inform a lot of the music on this record, this idea of being in a foreign place, as well as forging an identity amid unfamiliar surroundings. This is his second full-length album, following 2020’s Haunting Me"
“The Concept,” which has an interesting opening, like a sound reaching us from another time, the whisper of a music box from a simpler time, before the prominent beat takes hold. There is an odd sense of identity lost, and yet there is an unexpected beauty to this track. “Lonesome survivors/In a world gone mad.” Ah, doesn’t that describe the way many of us feel in the here and now? And we get the feeling we are not alone as we continue"
- Michael Doherty
Time Machine Music
“Mystique” as a album has offered a plenty of connective music structures, as a cold/dark wave, synth wave, specially post new wave and presentation of 80’s music influences as well. In some parts of the album, and in some songs also,a method of vocalization knows to remind on Sal Solo works from Classix Nouveaux band. “Mystique” also “looks like” conceptual product, with brilliant mixed works of : Ekko The Strange himself"
- Branimir Lokner
Metal Rebel Music News & Reviews
"Each track on this album has its place, holds its own and could be a release in itself. Ekko the Strange takes his personal experiences, and emotions and creates the music that we hear on Mystique , a mysterious yet dreamy album full of darkness and joy for those who are willing to listen for it, along with heartache and hope. A reflection of life and the experiences of life. A great second album with sold production and tracking, from a one-man creative team, and artist" - SARA TIJAN
The Vinyl District
"Mystique is the second full-length from Ekko the Strange, a coldwave/ post-punk/ goth-adoring gentleman currently based in Warsaw, Poland, but with roots spanning to the Pacific Northwest of the USA; that’s Idaho, specifically. Across eight tracks, the impact of Joy Division, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy and the general thrust of dystopian New Wave of the late ’70s-early ’80s becomes increasingly apparent. While the record isn’t breaking any new ground, the familiarity avoids the predictable as the infusion of atmosphere largely eschews the overwrought. A truckload of buzzsaw-like distortion and incessant synth throb is in its place. Altogether, Mystique satisfies by managing to feel fresh and without straining to come up with something new"
- Joseph Neff