A Non-Traditional Gem: "Inclusions" by Minorarc

Having a very early start in the world of music during his childhood in Australia, Ivan Bullock, the man behind the titles of Mystral Tide and Minorarc, embraced the field with open arms up until moving to Japan. Surrounded by music and creativity for most of his life, he expertized piano, experimenting with that very sound all the way, as well as the process of curating art, such as digital recording and design.

Here’s a quick backstory about this amazing artist. In 2003, Ivan moved back to Australia and later settled in Melbourne. He founded DEMUS, an online hub for underground electronic artists, which grew into Darkstereo—a platform to share and sell music.

From 2005 to 2015, they ran 19 “Enzyme” live events featuring experimental and electronic acts. Highlights included a major show at the 2010 Melbourne Fringe. DEMUS also released several compilation albums before shifting to Facebook in 2010.

Now, his album “Inclusions” is an instrumental album with a main sound of neoclassical, rock, and metal. The combination is truly unique, something listeners would raise their eyebrows on, but this record is an arrangement of sounds worth lending time to.

It is composed of eight tracks, with the first one being “A Drizzle’s Vagrant I”. Greatly adhering to Bullock’s history with piano and violin, it all starts with the former, soon joined by strings. It differs in speed in the context of its melody. Later along the line, “A Drizzle’s Vagrant II” would grace your ears, offering a heavier, more in-depth sound than the first.

The creation of this album is not Ivan Bullock’s first rodeo; this man has experience and passion on his sleeve, as it was previously mentioned that his curation for music dates back to decades ago, more than two, in fact. He met and collaborated with other artists and labels, one of which being Zeitgeist Records. His projects under Mystral Tide were outstanding, and the spark for creating is far from fading out.

“Seven Times Burnt”, the second track, starts fast-paced, with a modern-esque sound. It’s seemingly cut into small sections as the guitar takes over, where every component and technique can be heard and highlighted. The soft, accelerating piano is contrasted by the gruff-sounding guitar, but it all works out. It’s as if each sound is taking turns with the spotlight; a tug of war where neither one is outpowering the other.

Moreover, “Triclinic” is a sound comparable to one that’s going up and down a flight of stairs, the guitar offering a base for it. It has the potential to be translated as a full-blown scale fit for practice. “Blue Cold Mess” introduces an acoustic, raw guitar with a familiar air of mystery due to the ambience.

Needless to say, it’s all terribly well balanced. “Meet The Blade” is next, wherein gruffness ensues, matched with strings that sound like they’re up for a challenge and filled with suspense. There’s piano and trinket sounds here and there, completing the ambience and providing a vivid image of a dark cave with the occasional droplets hanging from above. It unifies the melody, making it cohesive. It then switches up after most of the duration is done, with a faster rundown of piano notes.

“Three Times” seems to be on a similar wavelength as the previous track, only on a different font. The drums in this are more outgoing, and the effects are diverse, as if they’ve been arranged in a way that they’d seamlessly transition well to make the change less noticeable, which is a great touch. There are moments where the distorted riff-like segments would protrude, but then the calmer electronic melody would take over. It’s a great mix of both worlds.

Speaking of sound in general, after the work in Mystral Tide is decidedly done, Bullock sort of rebranded into Minorarc, with a new intent and a new goal. He “began recording work to tackle the themes of urban decay and despair”, which matches how “Bleeding Facet” sounds – it expounds on rock, giving more flavor than just short-lived riffs. This time, it extends beyond. It also touches on the threshold of metal, accompanied by the subtle tinker-y piano in the background.

All in all, this one is a great non-traditionally structured album. You can tell it’s well created by a seasoned musician, fully aware of what he wants to put out and what message he wants to impart through music without words. It’s a talent worth acknowledging, worth celebrating; it’s definitely worth your time.