What does Elzy Padme sound like?

Groove-driven organic soundscapes from around the world.

The review of Elzy Padme – Passages Vol.3

Record label Shika Shika has been releasing an EP series called Passages which highlights producers and artists that create music influenced by travel, migration and local culture. Elzy Padme is the producer at the helm of ‘Passages Vol.3’, a 15-minute trip chronicling her journey from Istanbul to Tbilisi, after leaving war-torn Ukraine.

With the Middle-East influences front and centre, ‘By Ferry to the Island’ opens with a rich tapestry of percussion. Electronic beats pulse under layers of subtle organic percussion. Whilst the rhythm and bass are meaty, the rest of the production is airy and light. Synths effortlessly meander like a hazy veil whilst gentle vocal snippets calm the mind. Add in some beautiful field recordings of animals and wind-swept trees and it is a chillout classic.

‘Rabbit Hole’ is a far more ambiguous piece. Here the clever use of vacuum-sucked sticks and bongos create a throbbing late-night groove that allows the synths to sound more curious. The electric piano riffs to and fro between a few ambiguous chords and the ever-searching electric guitar riffs are pensive and stealthy. It’s a great soundtrack for hiding at dusk to. ‘Pattern’ merges the pensive ambiguity of the previous track into synth woodwind and a lot of reversed guitar. The drums are evocative too. They sound like boiling water – trickling and bubbling with gentle ferocity. This applies to all the synths too as they are quiet and soft but cascade notes at a mammoth pace. You cannot shake the feeling of danger as Georgian music samples twist in and out of the mix like a warp room.

Despite being only three tracks, Elzy Padme leaves a clever lasting impression. I think fans of Dijf Sanders will absolutely love what Elzy Padme does. She mixes real organic instruments and samples into complex and unusual emotional states, taking you on a musical journey that sounds and feels like you are moving through space and time. With this EP, I feel like I’ve been through a story and that is the sign of a great artist.

Recommended track: By Ferry to the Island

Support Higher Plain Music

Higher Plain Music is part of the Higher Plain Network – a one-man indie media project. If you like what I do, please consider supporting me via Patreon for as little as $1/£1 a month. In return, you’ll receive additional perks for supporting me, such as behind-the-scenes content and free downloads. You can also donate using PayPal. Sharing the website helps too or using the affiliate buy now links on reviews. I receive a few pence per Amazon sale. All your support will enable me to produce better content, more often. I’d love to make this a full-time media network and your support can make that happen. Thank you.