Blackest Ever Black ties together varying strands of murky and clamorous gloom, releasing the likes of Raime, Regis and Pruri- ent across its five “wretched” years of existence. But it sometimes offers something softer. Having long collaborated on BEB projects, Carla dal Forno has now delivered her debut solo LP on the London-born, Berlin-based label. Originally a Melbourne-based post-punk artist, since arriving in Berlin, dal Forno’s sound has slowed down, with her minimalist, lo-fi productions streaked with her own siren calls. You Know What It’s Like is a more tangibly personal release from the label, a woozy, weary album that exists in a state of suspension, like communicating with the world through a thick pane of glass.

The raw quality of the album seems almost infantile on Dragon Breath; where simple progressions complemented with hazy synths offer a feeling of waiting in the next room, before The Same Reply brings us back into reality with a thudding immediacy. Introduced by the album’s single, Fast Moving Cars, dal Forno’s earthy folk vocals echo through the entire album, piecing it together as if narrating a journey for us. Laced with chords equally wallowed in anticipation and despair, it’s a record full of intimacy and cinematic melancholy, but its charm stems from its down to earth, honest delivery of emotion – its gentle pace and human warmth managing to keep a layer of hope floating somewhere near the surface.

Jo Kali