VR SEX - Rough Dimension

Dais Records

VR SEX's 'Cyber Crimes' EP caught my attention last year and wound up on my Top 25 EP's of 2021. It gave off a feeling of neglect and cold personality that resonated on some level. The out of reach quality to the music hit home in a way that I can't quite put my finger on - all I know is that it set up their next album to be something to truly look forward to.

Doom and gloom circles overhead - miasmic dust hovers like decrepit thoughts. The seeds have been sewn with a particular sour taste that numbs the soul. Feelings don’t come easy in these parts; the lust for love never dies however. The deluge of daily life catches us all. Some sort of relief may be required. Rough Dimension is lined with macabre drapery; grayscale and devoid of all life. You can feel your will to live drain away as the record runs - slowly dripping to beautiful nothingness. Colour fades as life flows out.

The lead singers monotone delivery adds a layer of dread to the already downtrodden mix; it never breaches even slightly joyous. Deadpan diction seems to be the name of the game. The sunken space in which the material comes from is of a seductive nature - the seedier side of life begs for company. Submerged music shimmers with reverbs shake. The wet atmosphere rings with Robert Smith; Pornography era Cure springs to mind for a point of reference. The drums have a gated feel and exude massive spirit - they're wide and sticky. Very 80's in essence.

VR SEX's despondent output - as their name would suggest - is void of the splendors of life. A replacement for the real thing, all surroundings feel forged. In reach but never quite in touch.