Shawhin Izaddoost, aka VVV makes music that while hypnotic feels deeper than just the typical dance track. He works in dense soundscapes while locking into tight grooves and connective rhythms which allow the listener to fall into a sonic world deeper than just a club beat. His music mixes elements of 2-step, ambient, techno, and acid house and paints an aural landscape both thick with heady sounds and visceral movement.
Born in Tehran and raised in Austin, Texas, Izaddoost spent his teenage years playing guitar and drums in alt punk and metal bands. He went to school for audio engineering and developed a passion for field recording and the musique concrète approach to composition. Both play a big role in the sound of Izaddoost’s own music.
VVV is readying a new EP with Holodeck Records titled Spreading Primrose. Spreading Primrose is a 7-track EP filled with dense production, infectious beats, and ambient textures that feel both organic and otherworldly. Izaddoost has put his audio engineering and production prowess to excellent use, as Spreading Primrose is ripe with sonic gold. It’s an immense listen filled with aural treasures you’ll be finding with each successive listen.
For Spreading Primrose, one of the main influences was ancient Persian poetry. When read aloud correctly, the poems carried with them their own special cadence and flow that felt like drone. It was as if there was no need to stress words or phrases. This methodology was put to work on VVVs newest EP, giving Spreading Primrose the feeling of flowing ideas through rhythm, melody, and visceral heft.
“Illusion” opens on what feels like the moment an idea is born. Swaths of synth and atmosphere engulf you until a rhythm emerges from the ether. There’s almost a Gothic quality here. A mixture of the Cure and forward-thinking new age come together in this high art music piece. “Living Above Your Head” was released as a single back in July. It’s propulsive beat, otherworldly synths, and shadowy melodies makes it the perfect late night soundtrack. Title track “Spreading Primrose” floats along on swaths of 80s Tangerine Dream as it opens, but quickly showcases a subtle dance beat and almost melancholy vibes that hang in the air.
Izaddoost has a knack for working in both light and dark. Some tracks work in shadowy swaths of ambient soundscapes, while others work in light-as-air moments of optimism. VVV captures the work and weight of life and living in his music. Something like “Last of the Kerosene Travelers” flows along on heady, Komische vibes; synths and sonic manipulation give the tracks an almost psychedelic and glitch-y experience. While closing track “Airyman” distinguishes itself from the rest of the album with a buoyant, loping rhythm and chiming synth notes. It’s the perfect way to say goodbye to the world of Spreading Primrose.
Shawhin Izaddoost works in varying moods, shapes, and forms on his latest VVV album. He captures mysterious sounds and engaging melodies on Spreading Primrose, using one art form(ancient Persian poetry) to influence and inform his own. Spreading Primrose is a stunning EP with big ideas and brimming with life.
7.9 out of 10
Spreading Primrose is available now via Holodeck Records. Buy it digitally or get the deluxe ferric cassette here.
Complex Distractions 