Pi – E.I. LP (PDV Records)

“E.I.” is a recently released second full-length album by Pi, an outstanding solo project of Ivana Picek, a London-based Croatian artist. It’s a fresh and unique take on several complementary music genres that will unquestionably appeal to anyone into cleverly assembled electronic music. Ivana Picek fully stacked this material with so many different elements, so you’ll spend some time pinpointing her music to a singular style. Perhaps modern electronica comes to mind first, but you’ll hear how electro-pop, cyber-pop, indie-pop, dream-pop, glitch, techno, dance, and many other fundamental elements of electronic music found their way into this sonic equation. Of course, Pi thoroughly planned everything, so every song reveals some of these sonic ingredients, perfectly dosed not to spoil her primary sonic direction. It’s also good to mention that these additional elements serve as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details that undoubtedly uplift the entire material on an entirely new level, while Pi stays true to her unique style. Therefore, these experimentations resulted in a marvelous full-length album full of sonic delicacies and surprises.

It’s also nearly mindblowing how every composition shines with an entirely genuine atmosphere, but each song perfectly fits the remainder of the material. Her ability to cleverly write, compose, arrange, record, and produce such diverse records where every quality pops from all possible directions makes her one of the most versatile producers in the Balkan region. The entire record nicely suits the futuristic scenery by emphasizing sci-fi and cyber-like sonic articulations. Ivana Picek invested so many brilliant ideas into this material, so you’ll notice how E.I. comes with so many wisely constructed instrumentations. The complex rhythmic sequences based upon well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics are the first detail you’ll notice on this ear-appealing journey. These drumming patterns perfectly fit the remainder of the instrumentations thanks to their electronic and synth properties. Of course, this album wouldn’t be complete without a comprehensive collection of synth and electronic themes, leads, melodies, harmonies, ambiances, and other sonic maneuvers that serve as an adequate backdrop for Pi’s pitch-shifted vocal performance. She also thought about the low-end side of the spectrum by implementing many organic and synth basslines, which provide more than necessary heaviness, depth, and clarity. Pi unquestionably thoroughly planned all the instrumentations, so you’ll have a fun time listening to this material.

Lyrics also play a significant role. You’ll notice that Ivana Picek explores the futuristic closeness between humans and technology but also warns listeners about the dangers of what this symbiosis may bring. As I said before, Pi thought about even the tiniest details, and there are no doubts that E.I. is one of the best recent electro albums on the regional scene. She demonstrates her creativity, talent, and musicianship through this material, so you should put E.I. on your radar as soon as possible. Head to PDV Records for more information about ordering.