Crystal by Giallo

Arashk Azizi
Dec 15, 2022
3 min read

With Crystal (Кристалл), the band Giallo presents a digital album that dives deep into the emotional fractures of the human condition. Known for their unique fusion of trip-hop, dream-pop, and experimental rock, Giallo expands their palette with cinematic soundscapes, sharp contrasts, and ethereal female vocals. The result is an intimate yet expansive journey through fear, imbalance, and the fragile beauty of resilience.

Atmosphere and sound design

At its core, Crystal is a meditation on destructive human states—anxiety, exhaustion, and alienation. The production balances shadow and light: tense electronic rhythms collide with delicate layers of sound, while guitars and industrial textures add raw urgency. Composer and project founder Aliya Sagitova has described the making of the record as a personal turning point:

“This album was born in a time of change, emigration, and emotional instability. Each track reflects both pain and the search for balance in a new reality.”

The voice at the center of the record is crucial. At moments, it rises with strength and tension, as in “Manuscript”, pushing against the density of the arrangement. Elsewhere, it softens into velvet tones, such as the closing track “Viscosity”, sung in English—a haunting finale that feels both otherworldly and intimate.

Highlights of the album

After a brief “Intro”, the record moves into “Fog”, featuring guest singer Yana Veva, whose mystical tone hovers over a dreamlike trip-hop foundation. “Manuscript” stands out as one of the most intense pieces, leaning toward industrial rock, where sharp edges cut through layered electronics.

“Filth”, one of the tracks turned into a music video, is raw and visceral, a reflection of inner struggle with distorted textures and cinematic scope. Its counterpart, “Don’t Look”, contrasts with fragile restraint—another single with a music video that reveals the band’s talent for combining visual and sonic storytelling.

“Through the Snow” and “River” bring a more atmospheric flow, evoking landscapes of cold distance and introspection. The collaboration with Julia Duzhak on “With Wings” adds another dimension, her voice blending seamlessly with Aliya’s in a soaring, layered duet. The title track “Crystal” then acts as the centerpiece—shimmering, fragile, and reflective, embodying the themes of vulnerability and strength that run through the album.

Giallo’s artistic identity

Over the years, Giallo has built a reputation for genre-defying performances, standing at the crossroads of electronic, rock, and cinematic sound. Their achievements include winning the Yamaha Band Contest (Moscow, 2014), placing second at the Asian Beat International Competition (Tokyo, 2014), and sharing stages with artists like Tricky, Flunk, Pur:pur, and Oligarkh. Their festival appearances, from Stereoleto in St. Petersburg to Druzhba in Minsk, have confirmed their ability to captivate audiences across borders.

Yet Crystal feels like their most personal work to date. It is not just an album, but a diary of transformation—an emotional document of displacement, change, and resilience.

Conclusion

Crystal is an album of contradictions: fragile yet powerful, cinematic yet raw, introspective yet universal. It thrives on its ability to shift between tenderness and intensity, always guided by the voice that hovers above its layered soundscapes. As Aliya Sagitova notes, it was born out of instability and search for balance—and the music makes that struggle tangible.

“Crystal is an album where fragility becomes strength, and discomfort transforms into beauty.”

For listeners drawn to trip-hop, dream-pop, experimental rock, and cinematic electronic music, this digital album offers an immersive and emotional journey worth experiencing.