ROBEC – The Forest Is Too Loud

RELEASE YEAR: 2025
BAND URL: https://robec.bandcamp.com/album/the-forest-is-too-loud

This one did not entirely come out of the blue as I was fortunate enough to get to listen to a few snippets and extracts from it when stopping by for coffee and a chat at Gymnocal Industries’ headquarters on two or three occasions, and I was immediately hooked and started looking forward to its release. The skilled Robec, which is basically the alias of Marius T. Røbech who previously trod the board with the eclectic Ocean of Lotion, has carved out a unique-sounding musical journey that flows effortlessly back and forth between the cinematic and the intimate.

There is a prevalent sense of desolation to this evocative slice of forward-thinking electro rock, and there is an edge to it that sets the record apart from much else out there. At times it feels warm, lush, and inviting with those synth pop-esque textures conjuring up dream-like sequences that lull you into a soothing sense of security, but there are subtle glimmers of darkness hiding in odd corners, too. Swathes of delicious and melancholy soundscapes envelop the listener and transport one elsewhere, and the great thing is that the song material is riddled with grooves and trance-inducing basslines that underpin everything in a most robust manner. The instrumentation is simply fabulous, and the way in which the charismatic and clever drumming of Sondre Veland (Wardruna, Major Parkinson) has been woven ever so elegantly into the mix is a real treat to the ears.

The Forest Is Too Loud is superbly executed in every sense of the word and one of the more intriguing, progressive, and outright compelling works that I have had the pleasure of getting lost in lately. Perhaps more than anything, it is utterly inspiring and contains so many colors and flavors that it beggars belief. Keep your eyes peeled for this captivating prog-esque gem.