Since the debut of his Illuminine project eight years ago, Belgian musician & composer Kevin Imbrechts has been consistently focused on creating “peaceful music” infused with melancholic beauty. Collaboration has been a theme in his work as well, from the early involvement of Sigur Rós‘ sound engineer Birgir Jón Birgisson in the shaping the sound of his early albums to working with composers such as Adam Bryanbaum Wiltzie and Alex Somers as well as composing for games film & television. Returning to the numeric motif the first three records, Imbrechts follows up 2020’s Baptism of Solitude with #4, an album which he wrote, produced, and mixed on his own with the collaboration coming in the form of Vincent Coomans, Marble Sounds, Hannah Corinne and Shellter who each co-wrote and sang on the four vocal tracks.
Listening to #4, it is clear that Imbrechts is comfortably settled in his vision for the style and sound he wants to express as Illuminine and he has certainly developed the chops as both composer and producer to realize it fully. The melodies are beautiful, bittersweet, and most of all, heartfelt while the lushness of the arrangements generates the gravity that pulls the listener into their orbit. Alternating vocal led tracks and atmospheric interludes with passages that put his luminous guitars front and center works a treat, giving the album a panoramic sweep that amplifies the emotions without undermining its sense of intimacy and introspection. It is not easy to create music as sentimental as this without being mawkish, but Imbrechts and his vocal collaborators pull it off here in quite lovely fashion.
#4 is available now on vinyl LP and digital from Blue Marble. The album was mastered by Gert Van Hoof and features artwork by Laura Makabresku.
Links: Bandcamp (LP/digital) | Illuminine website
Stationary Travels 