Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Khanvict, Snakes & Ladders 2021.
I’ve had this five-track EP for a few weeks to give it time to grow on me.
Khanvict, aka Asad Khan, is a Surrey-based electronic musician whose passion is lush strings built over a solid bass punch to create complex soundscapes that are evocative of vast expanses from desert landscapes to dense rainforest.
This particular EP was written and recorded in the darkest days of the pandemic.
It developed out of a weekly livestream that Khanvict produced called Escape which offered hope to all those forced to stay home and in isolation.
These free sessions attracted up to 2,500 viewers every Friday night and it spoke of the collective need for an escape from COVID lockdown and a return to freedom.
Hopes and dreams of a better future are important and Khanvict considers this EP to be amongst his most personal work to date.
2021 has been a big year for the artist, he has racked up a million streams on Spotify and his recently released single, Closer, has achieved 500 thousand plays on YouTube.
Closer is a politically charged track that’s been highly praised by the music press including Rolling Stone and it’s been turned into a short film which explores the issues of racism and misogyny in South Asian culture.
Closer is on the Escape EP along with the first single, Heavy, which is a bass driven track reminiscent of the work of Clozee and Troyboi.
There’s good variety between the tracks and, although this style of music is not usually my preferred listening choice, with multiple listens the work grew on me.
