VHS Days Vol. 1 doesn’t try to impress you with polish or theatrics. It slides into the room with raw circuitry humming and lets the machines speak. Russian Corvette builds from hardware, and you can feel it: the static, the weight, the grit under each drum hit. The album opens in straight electro mode with heavy drums and aggressive synth lines, stripped of excess and focused on motion. From there, the record bends shape without losing intent. Ambience leaks into angular modular phrases, rhythms shift into odd cadences, and melodies feel alien but deliberate. There is a quiet confidence in how the record moves. There is no rush to show off, no overcomplication, just instinct guiding machinery.
The hardware setup sounds minimal, but the ideas aren’t. Russian Corvette lets each element earn its space: drums that hit with purpose, melodies that hover like signals from somewhere distant, grooves that evolve organically. When the tempo slows and the drums loosen into broken, halting patterns, the music becomes hypnotic instead of soft. You’re drawn in by the straight-forward, effective songwriting executed without fuss, only finesse. Even the more experimental cuts, those odd drum-focused excursions that feel like playful detours, hold the same sense of intention. Nothing here feels like filler. Each track, even the strange ones, feels lived-in.
As the album progresses, it leans into its rough edges without needing to get louder or faster. The energy shifts in subtle ways. Melodies grow more distorted, rhythms take unexpected turns, textures thicken, but everything stays deliberate. Even the harsher moments feel composed rather than chaotic, like the artist is exploring tension instead of chasing impact. There is a sense of pacing across the 22 tracks that keeps things fluid and connected. No matter how far the record wanders, a consistent atmosphere runs through it all and gives the album a quiet but unmistakable identity.
Russian Corvette, based in Copenhagen, Denmark, is an artist working far from the spotlight, quietly refining their craft. VHS Days Vol. 1 was recorded at the RC studio HQ and at various temporary studio locations between 2020 and 2025. Every track was performed live using hardware synthesizers, modular systems, drum machines, and effects, captured without overdubs or edits. The 90 minutes of music build a world of their own, spanning electro, IDM, acid, electronica, and modular experiments, paced with intent and careful attention. Even as the moods shift and the rhythms evolve, there’s a clear sense of direction holding everything together. The cassette edition is dubbed on a high-quality tape deck, further emphasizing the project’s tactile, hands-on approach. It’s a record that rewards close listening, revealing its details to anyone willing to step into its space.
VHS Days Vol. 1 by Russian Corvette was released October 2, 2025 on Unit Shifter Records
