Riverman “Traces”

We’re glad to announce that Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation-based indie artist Riverman has released a new track, entitled “Traces.”

Riverman is the solo project of Ilia, who started Riverman during the COVID pandemic while at home because of the quarantine. (“Also I’ve received divine blessing from Judas Priest. Nice,” Ilia jokes.) “Traces” is from Riverman’s self-titled album, released earlier this year. Ilia wrote all the songs on the album, while a friend of his recorded the drums for them; the two friends had initially gotten together in school, playing in several different bands together, and now they’re helping with each other’s solo projects. The vocals were recorded at A2Promo Studio in Yekaterinburg, while all other instruments were recorded at home.

Musically, Riverman was initially influenced by The Beatles and Led Zeppelin; and later on Ilia became interested in heavier bands such as Porcupine Tree, Opeth, and Riverside. Now RIverman’s inspirations also come from more song-oriented bands and performers such as Oasis, Elliott Smith, The Verve, and Coldplay; Ilia cites Elliot Smith’s Either/Or album as a key inspiration, and writes, “I guess that my music can resemble Radiohead or Porcupine tree with some influence from Oasis and Beady Eye.”

Ilia writes about the inspiration behind Riverman and “Traces,” “I was just experimenting with different types of open chords and then focused on the progression that made this song. This song is a part of the album that I’ve released in april. With this record I’ve tried to sum up all the experience that I’ve gained from playing in different bands. Also in became a way to express all the frustration and anger I had at that time, so the whole mood of the album and this particular song is more depressive than I really planned… This one is about trying to quit from circumstances that put you down and make you feel sick.”

“Traces” begins with spacey effects and washes of open chords from an effects-laden electric guitar, their progression creating a melancholy, dreamlike, and dark atmosphere that is nicely sustained by the steady rhythms of the bass and drums. Ilia’s soft-sung vocals complement the somber and reflective mood of the track quite well, their wistful melodies harmonizing nicely with the guitars and bass. “Traces” is quite a compelling listen; and at the same that it succeeds in expressing a dark emotion, one of feeling lost and sick, the track is also quite enjoyable and highlights Riverman’s brilliant songwriting as well as his excellent musicianship. I would highly recommend this track to fans of indie rock, as well as to fans of Radiohead and Porcupine Tree alike.

Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Instagram, Telegram, SoundCloud, and Spotify. If you enjoy his music and are able to provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp.

It also helps to stream and share his music; you can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Indie Only, and Alterindie State Of Mind.

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