EP Review: Collection of Culture | Arhkota

Today we’re getting caught up in the world of LA based Arhkota, a one-man band tied with the Sanctum in an exceptional fashion: his -5 yo now- Dreamy Hamilton was among the first albums I covered which -in its own way- shaped the idiosyncrasy of that new-found project called The Music Sanctum back in 2021. Revisiting Arhkota today, we can only confirm that the dreamland he’s been building for over 15 years is still just as wondrous, full of fresh landmarks to explore and wrap your head around. His latest, hallucinogenic Collection of Culture is a must-visit and here are all the reasons why…

Collection of Culture opens without the slightest warning, bringing a euphoric tension of ultralight, urgent percussion and it feels as if we are thrown into a blossoming, iridescent meadow located in a parallel universe. The gentle bass sets a delicate terrain for every sound to sit on before the abstract vocal performance comes as a breeze to lift it all above the ground. The listener is left to hover over this fantastical plain like a weightless kite and move to the beat that dominates the last minute of the track. One brilliant trip. The bubbling Wildlife introduces itself as an elemental sonic mix of wind and water. Abstract to its core, it doesn’t settle for a single minute giving two possible perspectives: it’s either too hard to follow or too sufficient to make you zone out. From my personal experience, Wildlife is a space cake that kicks in a lot faster than the actual muffin. The line ‘I wonder why’ repeats itself in a way that makes a trance state inevitable, while the chaotic instrumental is amalgamating a multitude of melodies masterfully into one clean mess. I dare say this piece is a lesson to artists creating in the abstract spectrum.

Wildlife is followed by a brief -two minute- pause titled Unsolved Mysteries. This is a minimal, low-profile passageway that connects the first half of the EP to the second. Unsolved Mysteries has a cosmic vibe thanks to its dark, esoteric synths and lack of percussion while at the same time emits warmth that feels both familiar and alien. At the end of this black hole we find the outlandish Kactus In Your Chest.

Kactus In Your Chest is soaked into this sweet shoegaze syrup which makes it the most delicious and digestible entry so far. Despite its dreamlike quality, the track’s layers are more defined while the beat is consistent and effortless to follow. The surreal poetry ‘Kactus in your spine, Kactus in your eyes, Kactus in your bones’ drips like serum into the bloodstream and makes for an exceptional visual experience as well - open to a number of interpretations. I can already imagine art pieces from different mediums inspired by this lyrical cactus obsession. The following ‘Last Dream, last breath’ carries the melancholia of departure, this pain that comes when something we deeply loved is being left behind, and even though we are heartbroken, we are blessed to have lived it. Even though its life in this album is short, ‘Last Dream, last breath’ bears such condensed emotion and sense of hope - enough to make up for its length.

In a nutshell, Arhkota’s Collection of Culture sounds like an exhibition of the humankind’s questions to the universe. It’s not there to provide stability with answers, logic or facts. On the contrary, its intention is to provide a celestial space where the listener can find safety in uncertainty. Nothing in this EP is given or predictable, mirroring exactly how life can take unexpected turns at any moment. As with life, Arhkota’s world will have you observing the ever-transforming soundscapes and all you can do is make sense out of it or at the very least make peace with it. Collection of Culture is out February the 13th! Cheers!

Listen to Collection of Culture here:

https://soundcloud.com/arhkota/sets/collection-of-culture/s-xXjCmrSoMVB?si=5e5aed379a2c4b7c816db9607dfb4942&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing