Louvki is back with his newest full length instrumental album Winter23. His most cohesive project to date, Winter23 tells the story of a hero and his journey through a significant period in his life. As the name implies, the album was recorded during the winter. Short days and long nights are reflected in the album's sound, where Louvkis unique drums back samples of wailing vocals, video games, and even Cartoon Network classics.
The first three tracks are desolate and cold. Starting with the explosive Otakar where harsh drums clash against drowned vocal loops that sound as ghostly as they are melodic. The album continues this theme up to Scream44, where swarming sirens play over the bass heavy instrumental. Different vocal samples appear sporadically while the frenzy builds.
The fourth track Margo shares some elements of its predecessors, but brightens the sound. If this album is about a hero and his journey, this track is him escaping the dark hellscape painted by the previous tracks in hopes of finding a brighter world.
The aptly titled Courage is the first look we get into this new world. Boom bap drums play over vintage sounding loops and repeated vocals from the referenced show. The track serves as an exploration of themes on the album from here on out. Wonderfully cartoonish and funny, it feels like our hero is finding his own courage to continue this journey he set out on. A visual reference that comes to mind is The Fool tarot card; full of whimsy with one foot forward, and that stupid dog by his side.
Soul Trap and the next few tracks afterwards are mellow and ponderous, painting our hero exploring this new world at his own pace. The psychedelic twinges in Life is So Vague and Higher offer a different view of this exploration. Short and sweet, these tracks are of introspection and discovery.
Slow and Steady continues these themes but also introduces a new one: love. With its constantly shifting energy the track is a musical equivalent to “butterflies in the stomach”. If Slow was an introduction of a lover to our story then Emily is a full on personification. One of the shortest tracks on the album at just under a minute and a half, it encapsulates what it feels liketo be held by your lover; warm, blissful, impermanent.
The album continues with these themes and develops them further in Keeping It Real. A song that sounds like a confused confession, a quiet argument, pleading to your partner. It’s uncertain if our hero is the one making the confession or listening to it, but the experience is even more vivid with the following track. I Want to Die sounds like the death throes of a relationship, dark bass and demonic laughs with clear message conveyed in the title and vocal loop.
If I Want to Die is the death throes of a relationship then Rather Fascinating is full on post-breakup. Ego takes over and begins to lash out in the form of warbling bass and faint vocal loops of people audibly struggling. The main sample repeats “I just want to get out of this alive” as it continues to get consumed by the instrumental.If this is post breakup for our hero then Desert Levels is the first taste of the freedom that getting out of a relationship provides. Acoustic latin influenced guitar chords play over bright hats creating a hazy and hypnotic atmosphere. The track only lets up for a moment before the drums pick back up and our hero keeps marching.
That march turns to stomping quickly with the next track Rain Boss. An over-exertion of freedom and ego, an instrumental of invincibility. Musically it sounds like a final boss level in a video game, but instead of our hero facing this city crushing monster, he embodies him. The track keeps building the whole way through and with every element added the carnage and destruction grow before finally fading out.
The following track The Last Sunday of Your Life feels remorseful, an apology of sorts. Inner turmoil as our hero accepts their actions and consequences. A final say on the matter, but one that needs to be said.
The closing track Tomb Raider feels like a nostalgia tinged backtrack through the whole album. A fond remembrance of times, good or bad. A bright future and new journey to take, with all that has happened to our hero laid to rest in the tomb of his mind, unfolding before us as he rediscovers it.