Human Endeavour Records, the newest member of the Ransom Note Records label family, returns with ‘Confession Time’, its second release and first solo artist EP from Anastasia Zems.
Hot on the heels of the inaugural release, a Various Artists EP featuring six producers from across the world, they welcome the DJ, vocalist and producer for a four-track EP of heads down, mid-tempo sludge that sees her thread the needle between acid, EBM, new beat and cold wave.
With opener ‘Underwear’ Anastasia plots a course into murky depths. The most club-ready cut on the release, it’s driven by a pulsating acid line and rumbling bass that soon give way to hypnotic synth patterns and Anastasia’s sultry, commanding spoken word.
‘Trust Me’ continues on the same note, launching with crisp percussion and hollow drum hits before a warbling sub bass engulfs us whole. Eerie pads and shimmering synths are introduced alongside ghostly vocal stabs which elevate the sonics from the darkness.
The pace drops as we reach the halfway mark of the EP. Potent and trance-inducing, ’Slowdance’ crawls along carried by a squelchy acid line that gradually unfurls over a haunting synth pattern and echoing, whispered vocals.
‘I Don’t Wanna’ wraps things up on a lighter note. A low slung bass line and steady drum beat is met by intoxicating bells that ring out overhead while Anastasia’s soft, heady tones keep the EP’s overall air of mystery alive.
On the inspiration behind the EP, Anastasia explains: “Behind each of the tracks there is a story about something personal. It so happens that my vocals usually appear in tracks during improvisation and most often do not change. This is my way of expressing feelings. It turns out that this is the time for confession.”
As a DJ and producer Anastasia Zems chases a counterpart to her urban upbringing, drawing inspiration from the tribal sounds of imagined rainforests. Her psychedelic, rhythmic productions, which she laces with her signature mysterious vocals have earned her singles, remixes and EPs on labels like Needs, Les Yeux Orange, ИДА, Fucanglong Files and Whypeopledance.
Human Endeavour is the newest addition to Ransom Note Records’ family of sub-labels. Curated and run by Ransom Note Editor, and one half of DJ duo Kiara Scuro, Rosie Ama Cain, the label will be a “space for artists who are exploring the dark, deep and hypnotic corners of the musical spectrum.”
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