Evitceles – Ripe Spell EP

Maybe the most interesting examples of musicians who can be in some way considered “sons” of that Deftones sound being the meeting place of alt-metal, shoegaze and melancholic melodies could be identified in the kaleidoscopic and experimental approach of musicians such as the Bulgarian artist Evitceles, more than in some branches of the post-hardcore realm.

Etien Slavchev, releasing music since 2014 with labels such as Yerevan Tapes, Amek, Opal Tapes and Strange Therapy, has recently released the Ripe Spell EP tape with the Under My Feet. multidisciplinary project. We’ve often talked about how, through the years, this project has organized parties in many different venues including art galleries, putting each kind of art in communication with a strong modern experimental musical approach. One of the most remarkable trademarks of UMF. releases is how each of them explores different sonic territories. Since its first release, although of course having paid full respect to their intentions, staying loyal to their experimental sonic research, they never repeated themselves, playing in a league of their own.

This same mindset is at the core of Evitceles, an artist which sound evolved through years, and that here embodies a mixture of alt-metal, shoegaze, darkwave influences in guitar riffing, processed slow industrial beats, melancholic synth lines, raw dub-like beats (Sleep Walk, Riding), a DIY punk attitude (SLKT FX22) and effected vocals, sometimes used as if they were samples (Draw Me Closer). That’s a lot of stuff for about 21 minutes of music. For this reason, it’s easier not to put on the table each sound you can listen to, but to consider it as the result of the experimentation of a truly open-minded artist which personal sonic wunderkammer succeeds in the difficult goal to sound cohesive. Listen to Ripe Spell and find your own clear definition. Trying to give one here could only be disrespectful, and I think the artist would agree with me.

Label: Under My Feet.

Rating: 8,5