French electronic fusion producer Vger has returned with an ambitious new offering that completely shifts his sonic trajectory. Following the bright, celebratory global party of his previous record, ‘The Hits From Ethnical World’, this second volume pivots towards a far more shadowy, intense exploration of human history.
On ‘The Hits 2 From Ethnical World’, Vger dives straight into regional folktales, historical resistance, and ancestral shadows across an eight-track journey that trades straightforward festival euphoria for something far more theatrical and rewarding. Rooted in a creative philosophy where every individual frequency must paint a vivid picture in the mind of the listener, the album thrives on a highly physical, widescreen scale.
It begins with the high-speed velocity of ‘In The Heart of Africa’, where heavy, coarse male vocals collide with rapid jungle patterns, setting a bruising pace. This urgency quickly morphs into the sombre, drifting soundscape of ‘The Aztlan Aztec Rose’, an ambient piece that uses mournful female voices to pay tribute to lost empires.
The undisputed standout is ‘Australian Bushrangers’, an unpredictable detour that introduces raw, jagged rock guitar riffs alongside anthemic vocals. Capturing the rebellious energy of colonial-era outlaws dear to our hearts, the track proves Vger is unafraid to shatter conventional genre rules, injecting an earthy grit into his digital framework.
This defiance continues through a gritty Detroit diptych. First, ‘Detroit Ghetto Blaster’ confronts the listener with assertive rap vocals and heavy urban beats, while its companion piece, ‘Detroit Underground Park’, strips the arrangement back to a dark, driving instrumental techno rhythm that honours the birthplace of the genre.
The record finds an intriguing balance in its final stretch. ‘Kali Maa Dark Dance’ cleverly juxtaposes modern club dynamics with devotional Indian melodies to honour the Hindu goddess of destruction, resulting in an infectious piece of dancefloor energy. Meanwhile, the dense arrangement of ‘Mystical Barong and Rangda From Bali’ builds a genuinely eerie, ritualistic tension.
By the time the warm, contemplative textures of ‘Native Americans at the Hollywood Bowl’ close the record, it is clear that Vger has delivered his most conceptually sophisticated work yet. By showing immense restraint and letting his vocalists breathe amidst heavy orchestration, he respects his sources rather than just borrowing them.
Head over to Spotify to stream the full album and track Vger’s latest global sonic expeditions on Instagram.
