Seattle-based experimental project Kotlovan, helmed by multi-instrumentalist Farkhad Saidmuratov, presents Beyond Sense, a neo-classical, piano-driven EP blending haunting improvisation with lush instrumentation. Tracks like the cinematic “Saturnine” and triumphant “Aporia” fuse dynamic piano, soaring shifts, and subtle electronics, while “Dyr bul shchyl” and “Valedictory” explore eerie textures and looped feedback, crafting a genre-defying, captivating listening experience.
Beyond Sense opens with the captivating “Saturnine,” led by mystique-filled piano lines that interact between a glistening, free-flowing charm and more rhythmic backing solemnity. A chilling, effervescent dreaminess takes hold after the first minute, invoking a fantasy-like cinematic spell as the twinkling ascends and then falls back into the initial piano-laden interactions. The track is a thorough showcase in seamless structural navigation between both darker intrigue and brighter serenity. The ensuing “Aporia” also excels with its mixture of stately piano and more ardent expanses, in this case being the addition of soaring guitars that lend an extra sense of triumph.
Another standout track, “Dyr bul shchyl” delivers a more tension-filled sound, with stabs of piano and eerie spoken-word vocal elements combining with spine-tingling allure. Finale “Valedictory” continues the nocturnal atmospheric pull, with its haunting piano work traversing between subdued glimmering and prancing vibrancy. Filled with interesting melodic turns, Beyond Sense is an immersive, atmospheric success of an EP from Kotlovan.
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“Saturnine” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
