Miftah Bravenda – “Fearless”

If you haven’t heard of Miftah Bravenda, that’s okay, because a lot of people haven’t. But don’t make the mistake of judging this by the unusual artist name. Actually, in a way it fits the music perfectly, because this is a beauty not easily described or captured. You must have some patience, but not much, because the track “Fearless”, taken off the upcoming album, “Comforting Presence”, will grab you and hold you until the last throbs of sonic texture fade out. Miftah Bravenda is a musician, producer and sound engineer hailing from Serang-Banten, Indonesia. His music is minimalist and ambient in nature, with a cinematic and organic quality that gives it a strong sense of atmosphere.

“Fearless” features slow moving progressions of a story well told and carefully built to gentle peaks of excitement. All of this is done with an understated, yet luscious symphony of instruments. This music is simply awesome in and by design. It combines post rock and ambient with delicate atmospheric elements that create a broader sound than any other post rock artists that I have heard thus far.

Miftah Bravenda has crafted a distinctive atmosphere and character that balances subtle textural work with ringing drum work and subtle Southeast Asian influences. Like any well-crafted music in any genre, “Fearless” is emotionally satisfying and also enjoyable for the mind.

Perhaps the most striking progression on the record as compared to similar acts, is Bravenda’s movement away from the Earth-shattering climaxes that usually populate the genre for a more delicate, reflective and pensive atmosphere. This descent into a more subtle, emotional head-space develops throughout and defines the track.

Dynamic movements are less stark and yet leave a deeper impression because of Miftah Bravenda’s knack for building tension with the lush textures that he spread across both the bass and synth parts. Yet, despite this minimalist and atmospheric sound, Bravenda does commendably well to avoid repetition within the track, sounding fresh and distinct throughout the experience.

The focus on textures and melody gives the subtle climaxes an impact that strikes just as deeply as any other moment in Miftah Bravenda’s discography. The track radiates warmth with a pleasing chord progression and swooning keyboard lines eventually ebbing away to reveal a powerfully burbling percussive undertow.

The twinkling keys and deep bass throb, resisting the urge to leave. There is a beauty to the arrangement that welcomes those who find themselves lost in its cinematic quality. On each subsequent release Bravenda proves to be unafraid of experimentation.

There is never any indicator of what he will bring to the table next, and that is a major aspect of what separates him from his contemporaries. “Fearless” is yet another surprising addition to his discography.

Ethereal ambiance and thunderous drums that drift into gently swelling walls of sound comprising textural washes of synth-generated effects, is yet more proof that Miftah Bravenda refuses to stagnate creatively. Therefore he remains in the top tier of his genre. So if you want music that displays excellent talent, technicality, control, and emotion without getting in your face, this is well worth listening to!