IGNIS AMARE – EP REVIEW

Ignis Amare – The Genesis EP 
Ignis Amare - The Genesis EP


Release Date: Out Now

Ignis Amare is the nom-de-plume of 19 year-old Cambridge lad Rafik Daaya who professes to make minimalistic alternative-electro music which is impressive as all I could make at the age of 19 was a passible Spaghetti Bolognaise and a decent cuppa. In all seriousness, I’m pleased to get some music from the more tender end of the age spectrum as the internet’s main positive contribution to the music world has surely been to open up possibilities to people of all ages, backgrounds and scenes. This four track EP opens up with ‘Genesis’ and the sound of alien insects emerging from mechanical undergrowth in to a swamp made of low synth notes and a sense of foreboding. There’s a feel of early Depeche Mode about this with the aforementioned minimalism and slightly gothic overtones coming to the fore.

‘Dive In’ starts with more of a flutter, a panicked heartbeat of a rhythm and some chunky percussive moments before fluttering notes and basement-dark vocals emerge talking in tongues and making a mockery of the idea of ‘pop’. This is not music for the easy listening crew but if you, like me, spent your teenage years drifting off to sleep listening to extended rare mixes played by John Peel then this will have you feeling pretty excited. On ‘City of God’ Ignis Amare gets all Aphex Twin on our asses with an aggressive opening sweep followed by some heavenly tones that soon blend in to something approaching a club tune – albeit the kind of club that Noel Fielding would imagine up after a week-long Absinthe bender on his own in an igloo. Closing up with the peacefully beautiful ‘Revelations’ (there’s a definite religious them here), Ignis Amare cements his new found reputation as an uncompromising but worthwhile listen. Like very dark chocolate or fine wine this is not music for binging on but every now and again it’s good to try something that challenges and awakens the taste buds.



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