Evitceles - Velvet Room (2023)

For anyone who’s ever followed the work of producer Etien Slavchev as Evitceles it’s no secret that guitar-oriented and aggressive instrumental music fall among his main influences. “Velvet Room”, his latest Opal Tapes offering, is the closest Evitceles has ever got to some of the genres which initially inspired the project. It’s not only the guitar as a key element that's spread over the whole tracklist distinguishing this record from the rest in the artist’s ever-evolving body of work but the exploration of his own voice as well. Throughout “Velvet Room” you will find many mainstays of the signature Evitceles sound such as the beautifully damaged production, introspective and moody beats, or infernally melodic ambiance. This album, however, feels and sounds like the result of an almost singer-songwriter approach to track-sculpting. It is an intimate music experience, at times brooding, almost broken or falling apart but always there to hold your hand without letting it go until the final bits of the "Velvet Room" are revealed.

- Angel Simitchiev