Prevrat - Symbols (2013)

(In my mind, while absorbing Prevrat´s music on the first listens, I was writting the coolest review ever; such as it happens, it´s never a situation that actually comes true)

Lately I´ve been listening to a lot of Perturbator (insert chester smiley face here) and I thought I´d like to hear some more of anything with a tinge of retro-electronic.

Now enter Prevrat with a long-ass list of tags on the artist´s bandcamp page; this left me in a significant state of awe, because aside from the confusing taglines, it contained in the description both the words electronic and indie. As you may have noticed of lately, this particular combination may not fare well with my musical endeavors, yet I´ve taken upon myself the responsability of writing this review; not as to prove anything with regards to my vast musical experience (which I find is not that vast anymore), but rather following an unexplained desire to find something that I might like. 

And I´m very much glad I did so.

Prevrat is, at its core, maybe the simplest and most honest form of shoegaze available. Such is the case with the opening track, ´With our eyes closed´, argually the best one on the album; you´ll want to hit repeat right in the middle of it, and considering its placement, one might be left to wonder if Prevrat should have simply played this one eight times in a row and be done with it. Yes, it´s that good. With a mellow bass line, synths that reminded me of the sountrack from EVE Online (trippy, ain´t it?), this is the most calming, yet at the same time exhilarating piece of music I´ve heard in a long time. However, the album does not stop here.

Song after song, the entity called ´Symbols´ gently morphs into other genres, retaining still the shoegaze sensation as a baseline. When it reaches ´Safe distance´, the electro influences slowly creep in (well, more than before) and towards the end the soul searching is abandoned in favor of some pop flavored tunes (´Sal Masekela´ and ´Traffic´), after which closer ´Choose´ acts like a perfect ending to an otherwise short yet powerful journey.

With a voice tonality ridiculously close to the one of polish prog group Osada Vida, some key moments that bear a striking resemblance to Jesu´s later work and some aptly placed synth work, Prevrat has condensed in just a little over twenty six minutes (yes, it´s that short) a release that has quickly taken the first spot in my ´Album of the year´ contenders list, albeit having absolutely nothing in common with this metalhead´s musical preferences.

Now excuse me as I go experience some more of Prevrat´s music, because as it seems, I still have the debut to indulge into…

P.S: Here´s a very interesting interview with the artist, which I think many of you will find enlightening; if not for the music itself, then for the trivia that it contains.