Vibe Collection, Vol. 2 is the latest release from Berlin-based artist and producer, kevkov, and it’s one of those really diverse albums full of different genres and actual different “vibes” to appease its listeners. I was lost in its vastly different songs and the emotions they deliver.
The opening song, galactic groove, reminds me of Shooting Stars and that same vibe of those trendy dance songs. However, It is uniquely composed and the beat grasps you on your first listen. cray has a different genre and song structure and shows you how proper trap and trip-hop should be made…it reminds me of my favourite video game soundtracks.
Stuck In My Mind changes the vibe once gain, into electronic/Alt-rock this time around, and it’s got the right kind of riffs and strumming patterns to keep you hooked, but its drum and bass beats are so catchy that they work well with the dance songs that came before it. It sounds like a rock band attempting to do a house/trance song, and they successfully ace it.
Showtime brings back the electronic beats, but this time in a more modern hip-hop way, due to the pads and electronic kicks. The piano on this song will lure you into a story that the composer wants to tell us without using a single word or lyric.
Sleep – kevkov remix is a cover of a friend’s song, and it’s the first song to have full-fledged vocals in the album. The vocalist/MC raps over a pretty dynamic and multi-layered beat with an awesome attitude and a few instances of higher phrases and higher notes to decorate his performance.
Summervibes in Wintertime starts with a heavily effected piano and another dark beat, it has an ominous feeling to it but the scale of the music is somewhat upbeat and dancy..a contradiction that kevkov beautifully masters throughout this record.
Rage Beat starts with a distorted synth, a heavy bass, and more electronic drums. The song has a mix of electropop, darkwave, and synthpop elements throughout. However, it still feels like movie and TV show soundtracks because of how every verse has a story to tell- one of kevkov’s many talents on thai album.
Videogame Breakcore is really what the name suggests. Its a break-dancing beat decorated with synths and percussive instruments that all feel like a main character moment in a retro video game moment. This one’s my favourite on the whole record by far.
Life Continues is a serious number amid all the dancy and retro-sounding songs. It brings back the guitars and creates a melancholic vibe by mixing them with different types of synths, including a choir synth that just felt so spot on.
The tenth and final track, Esper, sounds like anime soundtracks mixed with the videogame music from earlier tracks, but some heavy bass and lo-fi vocals/humming give it the right vibes it needs to become a fully-fledged track. It has its psychedelic moments and dark trip-hop elements, I loved it so much.
In conclusion, this is one of my favourite instrumental albums of the year (excluding the track Sleep) and it’s a highly experimental album, so I have to give kevkov credit for being one of the few non-rock and non-metal artists I thoroughly enjoyed this year. Go check it out on all streaming platforms.
