Formed in Germany in late 2022, Berliner Lvft is a Russian four-piece noise-rock / post-punk band with a growing following. Their new EP features the tracks Disappear and Sober.
Disappear
That opening snare says it all – a distinctive guttural sound that bites. There is no smooth finish here – it’s raw, it’s noisy, and it’s unique.
Exploding into life, the first 16 bars are a blistering onslaught of crowd-pleasing power chords and mosh-pit provoking drumming.
The vocals and guitars deliver melody after melody – the song is packed with hooks and crunchy, sometimes dissonant riffs. The bass throbs and chugs along like a vintage engine.
Andrey Gankin has a wonderfully distinctive voice – like an ’80s new wave icon. When this is mixed with the ’90s alt-rock instrumentation & filtered through a modern lens, it creates a unique and memorable sound.
Disappear is wide and expansive – it feels like we are standing at the feet of the band during an epic theatre performance.
“No commitments, zero regrets. Time to dissolve, time to forget
We are so far, yet somewhere near. You won’t see us, we’ll disappear”
Could this be an anthem for self-care and societal detachment in our troubled world, or perhaps something completely different?
Sober
The 2nd track in this double header is, at first, a contrast to Disappear – slower, calmer, more intimate – the vocal low down. The spiky, dissonant riffs return, though, as does the ever-present rock-solid rhythm section.
“Things keep falling apart when I’m sober. Cannot make it right when I’m sober”
Gradually, the intensity starts to build, and the voice soon becomes a scream.
“Everyone falls in love with me when I’m drunk! When I’m drunk, I fall in love with you”
There is a wall of distortion and crashing cymbals as things become focused on a single note – it really does start to feel like we are spiralling down into a blackout!
Sober has a sense of humour with a great punk sensibility, and as the track approaches its end, we hear the last line “I wanna feel alive”, and a repeating motif plays out, feeling ever more out of control.
The 2 tracks on this mini EP work well together and show the versatility and musicality of the band, whilst maintaining their raw intensity.
For the uninitiated, Disappear/Sober is the perfect introduction to Berliner Lvft.
Written by Grubby
