It’s not often that I review ambient music, but when I heard the new EP by experimental electroacoustic artist EchoBravo, I couldn’t wait to immerse myself in its world.
‘Awakening Of Dreams’ was primarily influenced by dreams and nightmares, and was recorded during the early stages of addiction recovery. The songs demonstrate the unease and restlessness inherent to this time.
So, with my best pair of headphones, I sat down in a darkened room and pressed play…
‘The Last Shore’ – Like standing at an electronic sea with waves lapping at your feet, a metallic, space-aged pad fills the air as sounds grow louder. Delicate guitar strums subtly drift in. This calming beginning instilled a sense of wonder at what lies ahead.
‘Lunar Witness’ -They say it’s darkest before the dawn, and ‘Lunar Witness’ really does feel like it’s the dead of night. I almost thought the guitar sound was morphing into church bells. The haunting melody is simple and hypnotic. I felt myself sinking deeper into the cavernous space, like being submerged in a warm liquid. Towards the end, things are stripped back – unsettling drones remain distant, but ever present.
‘Eternal Transmission’ – Travelling deeper into dark places, distortion crackles, and a sub bass devours everything. It feels like I am falling – or perhaps I can’t move at all. Whichever it is – it’s suffocating, and when the bass disappears, fluttering white noise and feedback take over, but fade away – replaced right at the end by a shimmering, weightless haze. It’s a purer, cleaner sound – perhaps a more hopeful sound?
‘The Sound Of The Sun Pt 1’ – The only track on the EP with vocals, it offers some jarring clarity. Accompanied by just an acoustic guitar, there’s a mournful melody and a slightly pained vocal, but the atmosphere seems to be clearing. Perhaps we are emerging from the depths to become healed – to become human again?
“The sight I’ve seen Was warm and complete
Opened my mouth Tried to speak
The words come out But couldn’t compete”
‘The Sound Of The Sun Pt 2’ – Just when I thought there was hope, darkness returns! Perhaps all is not well after all? Does this signify an end to the healing, or is it just a bump in the road – a reflection on the fragile nature of recovery? Sounds are hard to pin down at first. Dissonant and uneasy. Are they moving around in front of me, or am I moving through them? It’s like I’m hearing the blood in my veins. Finishing with an epic crescendo like some malevolent sci-fi choir, the ending comes – and to be honest, I can’t be sure I’ve made it all the way back to safety!
With only a few lyrics and the song titles to dissect, following the feelings the music stirs becomes even more absorbing. I felt more darkness than light – but the world of dreams and nightmares is deeply personal and not easily deciphered.
With recurring references to space, and plenty of sci-fi textures, the atmosphere really does feel alien, nocturnal – and to me, unresolved.
EchoBravo has only been releasing music since 2024, but with ‘Awakening Of Dreams’, he has delivered a beautiful, sometimes bleak, sometimes serene EP.
Written by Grubby
