Artist: Vuneny
Label: Moonlee Records
Release: 2006
Rating: 3.6/5
Vuneny are an experimental band from Mostar (Bosnia), formed in 2003. The project sort of combines the principles of rock and electronic music. That would be the simplest way to describe it. But in reality their music is a lot more than that – it’s a blend of many genres that’s hard to define, but a whole lot easier to listen to.
V2 is the band’s second album, released in 2006. Besides the new songs, V2 also includes a few tracks that were meant for the film Pljuska, but the film was never finished. The album got plenty of glowing reviews, which doesn’t surprise me one bit, since it’s a record that combines originality and musicality in one go. Their third album, “Whatever Singularity”, already came out this year, and it was also nicely received by critics.
The music may be tough to pin down, but I can still describe it a bit. There are two main ingredients. The first, at least as far as I’m concerned, is quite similar to post rock, with dreamy motifs that develop slowly. The second ingredient is electronic music – samples, loops – which feels like an almost logical upgrade for post rock and suits the music really well. Then there are touches of dub and a few other musical directions, and boom – the end result is original music that makes you think but is still a pleasure to listen to.
I’ve often heard comparisons to the electronic music giant Squarepusher. Those comparisons are fairly on the mark, since Squarepusher also mixes all sorts of influences into his mostly electronic music. The biggest difference between that English artist and the Bosnians is that Vuneny have more rock ingredients and not as many electronic rhythms. Still, the end result is similar – music that goes beyond genre labels and isn’t satisfied with easy definitions.
Vuneny are three musicians who, with their “sound curtains”, manage to create the impression that there are many more of them. They achieve this mostly with keyboards, various recorded parts and programming. Of course the guitars matter too, adding a bit of rock edge and, now and then, an extra touch of dreaminess.
V2 is an album the guys from Mostar can be proud of. It’s rare to hear a record that blurs the lines between genres this effortlessly and still sounds so relaxed and natural. This is an album that everyone who swears by indie rock, experimental music, electronic rhythms and dub needs to hear.
Line-up
Andrijan Zovko – keyboards, programming, sound effects
Asmir Šabić – guitar, percussion, vocals
Nedim Ćršić – guitar
Guests: Petar Topalović – vocals (2), DJ Didydee – scratching (1, 10)
Production
Vuneny
Track list
1. Ideal Panic Density
2. So Long Satellites
3. Anti – Thursday
4. Distance Is Relative
5. Tribute To My Deadborn Love
6. First Day Of Your Life
7. Tolerate Space
8. Lullaby (St. Etienne Version)
9. Kray
10. Curse Of Sound (Dub Mix)
11. Movement
12. Dr. X
13. Altalena
14. Pljuska Outro
