A moving array of ambient soundscapes consume across Completed Disillusionment, the new EP from Budapest-based artist Sabw. Each of the four tracks within are complemented by a short film, bolstering themes that range from the confronting of social restraints within “Elephant” to reflections on artistic struggle in “You Can’t Take This Away From Me.”
“Elephant” opens the EP with a gorgeous textural swells. Spacious intrigue builds into gentle caressing of strings, pulsing gradually between dreamy subduedness and shimmering effervescence. A spine-chilling dash of keys, just past the three-minute turn, adds further to the riveting soundscape. “You Can’t Take This Away From Me” ensues, also showcasing compelling momentum. Heartbeat-like keys linger seamlessly amidst a backing orchestral warmness, traversing enjoyably into heavy bass ruminations and pounding rhythms; moments of lush ethereality and stirring ardency switch back and forth with artful cohesion as the track progresses.
Another highlight, “Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder” casts a more ominous initial spell. A nocturnal, melancholic melody emits from buzzing effects and chilly instrumentation. A grandiose sense is conveyed as the mid-point arrives, where a cathedral-like organ emits a blaring resonance that lingers beautifully into the track’s finale. Closing the EP, “Dream Deferral” embraces a whirring ambience, escalating into a sonorous allure and a satiating fade-out. Taking inspiration from Mark Bradford’s Dream Deferral (1961), the production slows down a previously briskly-paced track to represent prolonged waiting, and serving as “an extended meditation on the illusion of eventual change.” The EP as a whole is consistently riveting in its fulfilling audiovisual experience.
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“Elephant” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Obscure Ambient.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
