{"id":23619,"date":"2025-12-10T13:12:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T13:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/castthedice.org\/?p=23619"},"modified":"2025-12-10T13:12:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T13:12:50","slug":"essvus-debut-album-what-ails-you-out-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/castthedice.org\/?p=23619","title":{"rendered":"Essvus’ debut album, What Ails You<\/em>, out now"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Last Friday saw the release of What Ails You<\/em>, the debut album from composer and producer Essvus<\/a> (aka Gen Morigami). A gripping and noise-driven album blending IDM, ambient, and drone influences, What Ails You<\/em> is an emotional rollercoaster, reflecting Essvus\u2019 struggles with mental health, family trauma, isolation, and personal healing. Drawing from both his personal struggles and his creative growth, Essvus creates a soundscape that is both haunting and cathartic. “When I started working on this music, I was in the midst of a severe, self-destructive depression that had already lasted for years,” he says. “I hadn\u2019t come to terms with the fact that my father was a cult leader until 2020… Only then did I realize I had endured decades of narcissistic abuse and psychological torment.”<\/p>\n

Essvus’ complex production combines layered electronics, field recordings, and manipulated voice clips, channeling a variety of influences from UK techno and the LA beat scene to the experimental traditions of Nyege Nyege and Groupe de Recherches Musicales. The result is an intricate mix of bliss and beauty but also gloom and tension, as Essvus explains:<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis music isn\u2019t just about simple contrasts or a straightforward path. It\u2019s a cross-section of my life, in all its confounding ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The album\u2019s lead single, ‘Never Here’, epitomizes this blend of darkness and light, with hypnotic rhythms driving the eerie phrase “I wish I was never here.” The track, and the album as a whole, encapsulates Essvus\u2019 journey through personal torment and, ultimately, healing. ‘Never Here’ is offered with an accompanying video and you can watch it below.<\/p>\n