Filipino ambient electronic group Espervene makes a compelling entrance with their debut album Concrete Delusions, a dense and emotionally rich exploration of darkwave, ambient textures, and experimental sound design. Across its seven tracks, the album presents a dreamlike and often disorienting experience, balancing moments of ethereal beauty with sonic intensity that can both elevate and overwhelm.

The opener, “Found Me,” sets the tone with sensual, layered vocals floating above slow, atmospheric instrumentation. There's a sense of scale here—of a vast, emotional desert sunrise—created by deep beats and crashing cymbals. It's an ambitious start that establishes the group’s strengths: evocative vocals and immersive soundscapes. However, even in this first track, one of the album’s central challenges emerges. The production tends to be overly loud in certain passages, occasionally drowning out the vocals and soft melodic details that otherwise give the music its soul.

With “Minus,” Espervene finds a stronger balance. The sound is more restrained, riding on groovy, head-nodding rhythms and distant, hollow riffs that feel like they’re echoing from another world. Here, the vocals shine—delivered with a haunting confidence and supported by rich layers that build an effective sense of space. The mix is more refined, allowing each element to breathe. Long, drawn-out vocal lines enhance the hypnotic mood, although even this track can't fully escape the creeping volume swell toward its close.

“Captive” leans further into darker territory. Built around stop-and-go percussion and eerie synth textures, the track evokes the unsettling feel of a survival horror game soundtrack—moody, tense, and slow-burning. The vocalist’s siren-like delivery pulls the listener in, becoming the emotional anchor amid shifting sonic terrain. Rather than building to a dramatic climax, the song smartly loops back into its groove, creating a haunting sense of restraint. That said, a sudden rap-style vocal flourish near the end feels jarring, disrupting the otherwise cohesive atmosphere and contributing to the album’s occasional identity crisis.

On “Sleepwalk,” Espervene channels retro synth influences with shimmering, back-and-forth effects that evoke a soft ‘80s nostalgia. It's one of the more sonically interesting pieces, but unfortunately, its midsection becomes muddled. Disjointed rhythms and abrupt tonal shifts cause the track to lose its initial clarity. Again, the volume swells feel too aggressive, masking the more subtle moments that work so well in the first half. There’s a consistent pattern here: when Espervene lets the music breathe, the results are soul-stirring; when they overextend, the emotional nuance gets buried.

“Become” offers one of the album’s more successful integrations of mood and power. Robotic synths and glitchy beats hover over a deep, warm bassline, with the vocals returning in ghostlike, echoing waves. The track strikes a delicate balance between atmosphere and drive, with mystical, high-end riffs adding a layer of intrigue. While the volume does inch up toward the climax, it feels more controlled this time, giving the track a sense of build without tipping into chaos.

“Hope” opens with rich, subterranean bass and steam-like percussive elements, crafting one of the more soothing and immersive moments on the record. The ambient sections are especially effective—calming, meditative, and full of emotional resonance. Unfortunately, this peace is shattered when overly loud riffs crash into the mix, disrupting the mood and turning serenity into static. It's a recurring frustration throughout the album: the feeling that these lush, carefully constructed moments could have landed harder if given just a bit more space.

Finally, “Enough” closes the album on a more energized note. Low-end rumble meets an upbeat tempo, and this time the volume and intensity feel earned. The darkwave influences are strongest here, with riffs that sit comfortably behind the vocals and a confident rhythm that pushes the song forward. It’s a solid closing statement—one that shows how effective Espervene can be when they align their ambition with control.

Concrete Delusions is a record full of promise. Espervene clearly possesses a unique voice and an ear for emotionally rich, atmospheric electronic music. The vocals are consistently strong, the synth work is textural and evocative, and the songwriting often gestures toward something powerful and profound. Yet, the frequent volume imbalances and abrupt stylistic shifts suggest a band still honing their approach. If Espervene can smooth out these rough edges, their next release could be truly special.

Sa kanilang unang album na Concrete Delusions, ipinapakita ng Filipino ambient electronic group na Espervene ang isang matapang at emosyonal na paglalakbay sa mundo ng madidilim na tunog, ambient textures, at eksperimento sa elektronikong musika. Binubuo ng pitong kanta, ang album ay parang isang panaginip—nakakalito pero kaakit-akit, at pinagsasama ang kagandahan ng katahimikan sa bigat ng tunog na minsan ay nakakataas ngunit may mga sandaling nakakabigla rin.

Ang pambungad na kanta na “Found Me” ay agad nagpaparamdam ng atmospera—mga sensual at pinagsama-samang boses na lumulutang sa mabagal at malawak na tunog. Parang sumisikat ang araw sa gitna ng disyerto, habang ang malalalim na beats at crashing cymbals ay bumabalot sa pandinig. Dito rin unang lumilitaw ang isa sa mga pangunahing isyu ng album: ang produksyon ay kadalasang masyadong malakas, kaya’t natatabunan ang mga mahihinang detalye at mismong boses na sana’y mas ramdam.

Mas balanse naman ang tunog sa “Minus.” Mas pinigilan ang ingay, at ang groove ay banayad na nagpapakilos sa ulo. Ang mga tunog ay tila nanggagaling sa malayo—malamlam at misteryoso—na nagbibigay ng kakaibang lalim. Mas malinaw ang boses dito, at ang layering ay mas maayos. Bagamat medyo lumalakas sa dulo, hindi ito sobrang sagabal sa kabuuan. Isa ito sa mga highlight ng album.

“Captive” ay pumapasok sa mas madilim na espasyo. Ang stop-and-go na beat at madidilim na synths ay parang bagay sa isang horror game soundtrack. Ang boses ng mang-aawit ay parang sirena—nakakaakit at misteryoso. Imbes na sumabog sa climax, bumabalik ang kanta sa mabagal na daloy nito—isang desisyong epektibo para sa kanilang darkwave na estilo. Ngunit may bahagi sa dulo na may halong rap na medyo bigla at hindi masyadong akma, na sumisira sa build-up ng kanta.

“Sleepwalk” naman ay may retro at '80s-inspired na tunog sa simula. Magaan at ambient ang simula, ngunit pagdating sa gitna, nagiging disjointed at hindi balansyado ang drum at riffs. Paulit-ulit ang problema sa mixing—ang mga malalakas na synth ay natatabunan ang kagandahan ng mga tahimik na bahagi. Kapag tahimik ang kanta, napakaganda at malalim ang pakiramdam; pero nasisira ito kapag biglang sumisigaw ang produksyon.

Sa “Become,” bumalik ang kumpiyansa ng grupo. Robotic na synths at glitchy beats ang bumalot sa isang makapal at mainit na bassline, habang ang boses ay bumalik bilang isang mala-espiritung elemento. Ang kanta ay mystical at malinis ang daloy, kahit medyo lumalakas sa dulo, mas kontrolado ito. Isa ito sa mga pinaka-pinong pagkakagawa sa buong album.

“Hope” ay isa sa mga pinaka-relaxing na track. Mabagal at malalim ang bass, at ang beat ay parang huni ng makinarya—industrial pero kalmado. Ang mga ambient moments ay nakakapanatag, para bang iniimbitahan kang magnilay. Pero, gaya ng dati, sinisira ito ng biglang malalakas na synth riffs. Napakaganda ng boses sa kantang ito—haunting at hypnotic—pero nababali ang momentum sa tuwing sumasampa na naman ang volume.

Panghuli, “Enough” ay nagbibigay ng mas energizing na pagtatapos. Mababa ang simula pero upbeat ang tempo, at dito nagtagumpay ang grupo sa pagsabay ng bigat at balanse. Ang darkwave aesthetic ay buo, at ang mga tunog ay hindi masyadong nangunguna sa boses. Sa wakas, isang malinis at makapangyarihang pagsasara sa album.

Ang Concrete Delusions ay isang debut na puno ng potensyal. May malinaw na artistikong bisyon ang Espervene, at kapansin-pansin ang kanilang galing sa paglikha ng mga tunog na emosyonal, madilim, at atmospheric. Ang boses ay palaging highlight, at ang kanilang tunog ay may kakaibang timpla ng modernong kalungkutan at elektronikong ganda. Ngunit kailangang ayusin ang produksyon—lalo na ang volume control at ilang stylistic choices—para maabot nila ang tunay na lakas ng kanilang musika.

RATING: 6/10