Soundtrack Review: All Evolutionz EP (2020)

All Evolutionz aka 全進化 aka Zen Shinka is the latest project by Enso, perhaps best known as the founder of XXX Hong Kong, an underground gallery and nightclub in operation from 2011-2018. This is the fourth music release of 2020 under the new XXX Records imprint, capping off a prolific year for both Enso and the new label.

All tracks on All Evolutionz EP are produced by Enso, and feature an orchestral / film score style that is a natural extension of his Palimpsest EP released earlier this year. All Evolutionz EP comprises a six-chapter story of melancholy, loss and wonder, expertly voiced by studio piano and strings instrumentation. Japanese language vocals are supplied by Yo Zi, while the alternate English vocal versions are produced using Vocaloid, a Japanese synthesized voice software.

Despite his reputation as a bass music club DJ, Enso cites some surprising musical influences:

“I love artists such as James Blake, but I actually listen to a lot of film scores. I am most inspired by the composers Clint Mansell and Max Richter, and have actually made a ritual of listening to Górecki’s third symphony each year on my birthday, since I was a teenager.”

As for the name “All Evolutionz,” Enso explains, “it is inspired by Pokémon and relates to the idea of constant growth, transformation and development.”

I was curious to see what All Evolutionz EP was all about as it’s not every day I get a vinyl record in the mail to check out. Imagine my delight, then, when I opened the record up and found a vinyl record that was bright yellow! This makes the entire record eye-catching and really pretty (it was an added bonus also because I’ve never owned a record that wasn’t black before).

The music itself was very relaxing, it reminded me of several anime soundtracks where there are long stretches filled with vocalizations while the characters contemplate life and existence. Honestly I would happily listen to this music over and over again for relaxation purposes. That being said, I did find the English language portions of the music a little….odd? I think odd is the best word for it, it wasn’t bad but it did sound unusual to my ears.

I also really love that this album had a vinyl release at all. It’s so cool that vinyl has made a comeback. They’re really cool to collect, and it makes for a fun experience to watch the vinyl spin while you listen to it.

All Evolutionz EP turned out to be an enjoyable experience and I’m glad I got the chance to check it out.