KOSMETIKA - Illustration LP

Highly recommended.

Taking heavy inspiration from shoegaze, dark/synth wave and Russian gothic pop music, ‘Illustration’ is led by captivating synth sounds, intricate drum machine, melodic basslines and odd-form structures while maintaining their usual pop sensibilities.

‘Psycho TV’ and ‘Mne Nadoeli’ showcase the band delving deeper into this territory of abrasive industrial sounds, while tracks such as ‘Mokryj Asphalt’ hold steady in their power pop knack with an instantly singable chorus.

Sitting somewhere in between, Kosmetika still maintain their krautrock-inspired origins, clinging to motorik beats and sharp synth melodies like in ‘Eighty Four’ or ‘Opaque’.

Illustration is painted with a broad brush but woven into something unique and cohesive, and with this record Kosmetika have managed to make a modern underground new-wave pop gem.

"I’m travelling through a space oddity of post-industrial psych pop synth wave, nicely." - random Bandcamp comment