Void Vision, I will admit, is somewhat of an enigma. I have
been able to find out very little about the project, except that it is one girl
and some synths. Apparently a few singles have been released, and this effort,
“Sub Rosa,” is the girl’s debut solo album. Floating gently down to us out of
relative quiet and obscurity, the album is not easily classified, but
definitely fits into the broad spectrum of retrowave music.

Void Vision appears to be the solo project of one Shari
Vari, native of Philadelphia. I made efforts to contact her, but Shari has
remained silent. Four years ago, she released a 7” I have been unable to track
down, and a version of “Sour” (on this album) was released as a single last
year on Mannequin Records. According to scattered reports, Vari has been
performing live in the northeastern USA, predominantly in the Big Apple. Based
on this showing, we can only hope to hear more from her in the future.

The sound itself is vaporous, even spectral at times, but
never seems to lack substance throughout. Ghostly, choral tones hold up the low
and mid ranges, while low-bitrate synths tumble forth melody lines rife with
arpeggio and scalar play. Human vocals are prevalent, a female voice, darkly
haunting but still oddly soothing in their softness. Percussion varies from
high, tight electro drums to deeper, throbbing drums on tracks like “Sour.”
Much of the substance is undeniably 80s-inspired, with a gentle twist of
modernity to it. A dark tone, hopeful in some places, solemn in others, sets
the norm for these tracks. The music is faintly romantic, good for brooding,
and could even take its place on a dance floor. Though it lacks the bursting
energy of much of the genre’s albums, the beats are dynamic and full-bodied.

I have held back on detailing individual tracks, as they
tend to flow almost seamlessly together; the album stands firmly as one
continuous work, without seeming tedious or boring.

Using our new grading system, I would grant this album 8 out
of 10 stars solid. It is a refreshing exploration of the mellow side of
darkness, a lovely contrast to the horror-film-inspired synth music with which
I am normally smitten in this genre. Lying somewhere between chill and gloomy,
it is excellent kick-back or afterparty listening material.

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