Mania embodies downtempo approaches to construct its unique message while straddling multiple genres without adhering to any one.
A bewildering collection
Not too long ago, Viktor Van River’s Mania arrived in our mailbox. The album, by the Kazakhstan musician, includes two joint projects with local artist kúie featured on “Purpose,” and Pot-C, Cheese, and Long John on “Protectors.” The resultant is a bewildering collection that veers into rough, post-rock-inspired guitar inflections and downtempo, illbient-dub rhythms, but mostly stays in the realm of abstracted, gloomy electronics with a few vocals thrown in—”Blackmail.”
“Isolation,” “The Day of Waiting,” and “People Outside” maintain instrumental, vibrant, and ambient textures that are reduced down to the essentials, drifting serenely and seeming to turn up the album’s temperature a few degrees. Closing track “Protectors” has a challenging intro and eventually coalesces its lyrics towards the halfway point. With its drum-infused lounge electronica that transports us back to older Red Snapper, the title track is particularly noteworthy—guitars are subtly manipulated to maintain the overall flow of the piece.
Ultimately, Mania embodies downtempo approaches to construct its unique message while straddling multiple genres without adhering to any one.
Mania is available on Bandcamp.
