Libbianski, figure montante de la scène shoegaze néo-zélandaise, franchit une nouvelle étape avec Episode 1, sorti le 5 décembre via Over The Hill Records. Après un premier album remarqué, Useless Splendour en 2024, le trio poursuit son exploration sonore entre post-metal, rock alternatif et dream pop pour un projet qui respire l’indépendance et la sincérité.

par Marye Davenne

English version below

Ce qui frappe dès la première écoute, c’est la dualité qui traverse l’EP. Libbianski joue avec les contrastes : des guitares écrasantes qui se fondent dans des nappes éthérées, une basse qui martèle comme un cœur battant, et des percussions hypnotiques qui donnent à l’ensemble une tension presque physique. La voix, souvent en retrait, agit comme une présence fantomatique, parfois douce, parfois criée, comme si elle cherchait à percer le mur du son. Dès l’ouverture, la basse monumentale impose sa présence, résonnant comme une colonne vertébrale sonore. La voix, criée, trahit un ADN post-metal sous-jacent, mais le morceau reste lumineux, baigné d’une mélancolie qui contraste avec cette intensité. C’est une entrée en matière qui brouille les frontières entre rage et contemplation. On continue avec « Steve French » sous ses airs plus calmes, avec une introduction guitare seule presque fragile. Mais rapidement, le titre se muscle et dévoile une puissance insoupçonnée, avec une pointe d’Oasis dans la mélodie qui surprend. Le dernier tiers ralentit légèrement, instillant une atmosphère doomesque, où les cris s’invitent sans jamais basculer dans le métal pur. Une montée en tension maîtrisée pour finir sur « Finding A Cure »,  le morceau le plus vaporeux du lot. Ici, le shoegaze s’affirme pleinement, porté par un rythme qui surprend et des contrastes vocaux saisissants : la voix principale, presque indie rock, se heurte aux chœurs hurlés en arrière-plan. Cette dualité crée une densité émotionnelle rare, comme un brouillard sonore où chaque détail compte.

Tracklist :

1. Continue the Sad
2. Steve French
3. Finding A Cure

Libbianski, a rising star on the New Zealand shoegaze scene, takes another step forward with Episode 1, released on December 5th via Over The Hill Records. Following their acclaimed debut album, Useless Splendour, in 2024, the trio continues its sonic exploration of post-metal, alternative rock, and dream pop in a project that exudes independence and sincerity.

by Marye Davenne

Libbianski is not a band that appeared by chance. Their debut album, Useless Splendour, had already caught the attention of fans of distorted guitars and hazy atmospheres. But it was on stage that the band forged its reputation: an ambitious tour of New Zealand and Australia, supported by Footstomp Music, where their live intensity made a lasting impression. They chose to channel this energy into a more refined, intimate format, freeing themselves from external constraints. Episode 1 is self-produced, recorded in their home studio, and it shows: every sound breathes freedom, every texture bears the mark of DIY.

What strikes you from the first listen is the duality that runs through the EP. Libbianski plays with contrasts: crushing guitars that blend into ethereal layers, a bass that pounds like a beating heart, and hypnotic percussion that gives the whole thing an almost physical tension. The vocals, often in the background, act as a ghostly presence, sometimes soft, sometimes shouted, as if trying to break through the wall of sound. From the opening bars, the monumental bass imposes its presence, resonating like a sonic backbone. The shouted vocals betray an underlying post-metal DNA, but the track remains luminous, bathed in a melancholy that contrasts with its intensity. It’s an introduction that blurs the lines between rage and contemplation. We continue with “Steve French” and its calmer air, with an almost fragile solo guitar introduction. But quickly, the track builds muscle and reveals an unexpected power, with a surprising hint of Oasis in the melody. The last third slows down slightly, instilling a doom-like atmosphere, where screams invite themselves in without ever tipping over into pure metal. A controlled build-up of tension ends with “Finding A Cure,” the most ethereal track of the bunch. Here, shoegaze comes into its own, carried by a surprising rhythm and striking vocal contrasts: the lead vocals, almost indie rock, clash with the screaming backing vocals. This duality creates a rare emotional density, like a sonic fog where every detail counts.

With Episode 1, Libbianski doesn’t just extend Useless Splendour: they refine their identity. More abrasive, more experimental, but also more introspective, this short record condenses the essence of a band in the midst of change. In a shoegaze scene often frozen in its codes, saturated with reverb and nostalgia, Libbianski injects new energy, carried by a DIY approach that sounds like a manifesto.