It’s been a crazy couple of years for Brisbane-based alternative rapper Rivilin.
Started out his musical journey playing in hardcore bands and working as a promoter around Brisbane, since turning to alternative rap the artist has gone from strength to strength, releasing cuts filled with personality and striking imagery.
2019 saw the artist release an unbelievable 23 singles, two EPs and a debut record ‘Nobody’, which earned considerable praise for it’s alternative sound, resonant themes, and fantastic, captivating performances by Rivilin on the mic.
However, this new track ‘neuroscience’, the first of his upcoming album ‘ratrose’ sees Rivilin head into much darker territory, being written shortly after Rivilin was in a terrible car accident. Opening with a unsettling keyboard riff that plays over and over and over, the feeling of unsettling terror is palpable. However, once Rivilin pops into the track and starts singing in a dead-pan voice, percussion introduces itself to give a feeling of being locked into something. You feeling like you are sitting on the hospital bed with Rivilin, living this moment over and over and over.
Rivilin really adds a lot of detail to the track, talking about hundreds of messages being left on this phone, feeling his broken bones and seeing everyone at the ‘end of this, again, again.’ The fact his lyrics even start to repeat themselves makes it even more palpable, making you wonder how long he has actually been here.
This is a fantastic track, something that pulls from other amazing alternative rappers like 360 and Kid Cudi, but what is a the biggest achievement of this track is that Rivilin nails the sense of place. You are there with him, every step of the way. For an artist to do that so convincingly it bodes well for what Rivilin has in store around the corner.
With a follow up record and multiple shows in the works, this is an artist you’re going to want to start paying attention to in 2020!
