Just in time for Spring!
Three years have passed since their self-titled release on Cheburec (RU), and now Vesna (Dmitry Tchemiak and Alexey Gaponenko) are back with a much more serious and thoughtful piece of work. Snow Sences is the debut full-length with n5MD (since their 7″ release), and it’s easy to hear that they’ve solidified their sound with relaxed melodic spaces full of intricate details blended to downbeat, jazzy frequencies. The raw layers of electronica are totally stripped down, ready for audible consumption at the flip of a switch.
Much of Snow Sences contains sliced voices that congregate around thick basslines and digitally enhanced twitches – whether they are processed or direct, the intentions are precise and astounding. The title track delivers a fresh dose of downbeat percussion in parallel to expanded melodies that tweak, screech and reciprocate into a space of their own. “5 People” opens up with a tranquil melody, much in line with Warp’s early 90’s Artificial Intelligence sound, then mutates into beat infused layers of casual funk. “Mesmeric Diamantine” opens with an acidic analog melody that loops straight into a futuristic, emotional sphere of slippery ambience and rhythmical finesse.
It’d be challenging not to mention the sensitive hip-hop influences on Snow Sences; tracks like “Waxen Beats,” “Road,” “Desrt,” and “Dilemma” are perfect examples of Vesna’s architectural sound-escapes where emotions meet exploratory beats. “Deeply Under the Ice,” however, describes itself quite well; reminiscent of the delicately warped ambiences of Boards of Canada, this track flows peacefully as an ambiguous entity.
Expressing their sound with soothing structures, Vesna implement an authentic experimental pulse that doesn’t veer too far into the distance. Instead you’re invited to join in on what they feel is a more improved ideology of electronic music. Simplicity drenched in a layer of downbeat percussion, Snow Sences is a blueprint of ideas and emotions spread over 60+ minutes with minimum deviation.
Prepare to launch yourself into a digital forest of cold beats melting over a thin layer of ice.
Snow Sences is out May 18th on n5MD.
Check Igloo’s review of the MD8 compilation featuring Vesna’s “Rack Mode” contribution.
