The reader might not be aware of the existence of VRChat. If that’s the case, allow us to explain. It’s essentially an online virtual world platform which allows users to interact with others through user-created 3D avatars and custom worlds. It’s a place one goes to escape reality and chat with like-minded folks. Why are we telling you this? Because the band we are writing about in this article mainly exists through their digital avatars, and really loves to blur the line between the physical and virtual dimensions. Meet The Submerged, Japanese alt-rock outfit with a knack for gritty and heavily distorted material.
‘Fabrica’ EP is the perfect evidence of that. Recently released, the record marks The Submerged’s debut effort, a six-track adventure into gritty rock tones and lo-fi sonic production. It’s truly alternative and leftfield in its ethos, with each piece exhibiting a strikingly potent aural livery and melancholic, fuzzy vocals. The lyrical storytelling underlying the EP is rather cinematic and expansive, with The Submerged drawing inspiration from popular culture, sci-fi movies, and their keen observant character. It looks as if the group hasn’t imposed any creative limits on itself so far.
If you like what you hear, you can catch The Submerged live through their VRChat performances. They are, in fact, a pretty important piece of the platform’s music community, organising a recurring event series called ‘Halley’s Comet Night’, and advancing themselves as the promoter of a compilation featuring VRChat-bound music endeavours. In a way, The Sbumerged have taken their community-driven effort seriously, and we suspect they might have already rallied a large virtual audience behind the project.
Recommended! Discover ‘Fabrica EP’ now: