REVIEW: Inhale, Vol. I Introduces Breathing Records with Equal Parts Pain and Beauty
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY KYLEE WIENS ☆
Inhale, Vol. I represents beginnings and promises, as it is the first release of the newly-founded label Breathing Records. Yet, it is also more than that. The compilation is alive and swollen with tension, release, and transformation. Across its ten tracks from ten unique artists, a binding thread is wound both sonically and spiritually. Each track is frenetic and angular, yet still resonates with the human experience. Inhale, Vol. I is more than just a compilation, it's a testament to an emerging world of sound and color.
The compilation introduces listeners to its world with the inimitable Matte Blvck. On the heels of their album Vows, their track “Soulless” is a sultry nod to ‘80s goth lyrical sentiments and ‘90s electronic production styles. Equal parts ethereal and danceable, the song represents emergence through adversity into new, promising territories. It is a fitting introduction to a thematic exploration of finding light and movement in the darkness.
Pictureplane picks up right where “Soulless” leaves off, with a scintillating bassline layered with shining synths and pulsating drum beats. The result is evocative of a smoky, neon-lit nightclub, equal parts impressionistic and pastiche in its beauty. William Bleak and Moon 17 deliver tracks that speak to the contrast between human softness and mechanical precision, and this contradiction undulates through each note like a tidal wave.
“RAZORS” by Maelstrom and Louisahhh is a standout track, slicing through silence with razor-sharp refrains, indistinguishable by sound but resonant in their impact. The production style is maximal and heavy-handed, somehow evoking both a nightmare and a dream you don’t wish to wake up from. VCRHEADCLEANER crafts a more atmospheric, ethereal tone in “trustyourfear,” lush in its layered production yet more minimal in its delivery.
“Burn” by Street Fever serves as the compilation’s emotional apex. The track builds potential energy for its first three minutes, and yields a beat drop so frenetic that a listener might get whiplash if not careful. The last minute bursts with energy and then lulls with tension, oscillating between an energetic blast and moments of calm in the storm. King Yosef and God is War perfectly round out the compilation, fusing industrial soundscapes with post-punk panache.
The result is less of a collection of songs and more of a listening experience. Inhale, Vol. I ushers in not just a new era of creativity and expression, but a welcome into a community of underground and experimental music.
