Style: Progressive rock, post-rock, electronic (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Riverside, Porcupine Tree, Anthaema, later Leprous
Country: Russia
Release date: 27 May 2026

---

One of the best feelings an artistic person can experience is the rush of excitement when the pieces of a time-consuming project come together. Regardless of the medium, the creative process is complex and vulnerable. Sometimes we fall in love with a form of expression, like a song or a drawing, that doesn’t always fit the theme of the final artistic product. Many creatives would say that these expressions deserve to have their story told, too. Fedor Kivokurtsev, the face of Echoes and Signals, resurfaces to the progressive world with a collection of tracks called Singularity and Other Stories a mere three months after the release of his most recent LP, Solar. Singularity’s collection of tracks (mostly) come in at bite-sized lengths of under five minutes and finally find an expressive home in Echoes and Signals’ discography.

In the past, Kivokurtsev’s albums were written with meaningful concepts at the forefront. Between Mars and Venus attempts to understand the weave that holds order and chaos together within a human soul, while Solar explores the wide spectrum of human emotion. Singularity takes an uncharacteristic step back in storytelling. Rather than focus on stories of humanity, the album outlines fragmented stories of ‘a changing world’, alluding to the exploration of a technological reality given the mechanical nature of the album’s track titles (“Simalcra”, “Temporal Waves”). The tone of Singularity reflects this thematic change; Kivokurtsev’s trademark dreamy synths embody more grit and edge than before, characterizing and supporting the album’s featured guitar solos and vocal showcases.

“Simulacra” gently opens the album with dark, spacey chords and floaty vocals, setting Singularity’s brooding tone. Artificial clicking opens “Temporal Waves”, as Kivokurtsev paints the track’s canvas with a Muse-colored brush, leaning heavily into moody, electronic bass lines and space-rock inspired themes. No track on Singularity is greatly motivated by tempo, allowing the mechanical chugs of the rhythm section to feel laid-back. “Temporal Waves” additionally features the first of a handful of vamping sections on Singularity as guest Alexander Perfilyev grinds through a jazzy, free-melody guitar solo. Combining atmospheric vamping sections and free-reigned solos is the largest part of Singularity’s identity, making for a record that communicates its ideas—both sonically and thematically—a bit more two-dimensionally than a lister might like. However, when the few massive moments on Singularity do arrive, they add new elements that entice the listener back into the album’s synthetic arms. “Cloud Gallery” turns the edginess up with a beefy, fugue-like march; chunky chords in the bass and drums lead the path for hollow vocals to chant their way through a dirge-y atmosphere. The ethereal moment is a jarring yet welcoming change from the rest of Singularity’s laid-back, pensive identity. 

The title track, “Singularity”, while still largely overtaken by melodic synths, has the most thematic contribution; A female ‘voice’, quoted for its android-like timbre, whispers praises and warnings alike of new world discovery. It’s a decent attempt to connect to the listener thematically, but this ‘fragmented story’ seems to emphasize fragmentation over narrative: it’s incomplete in the overall album structure. Luckily, the shaky narrative is made up for in musicianship. The back half features tense electronic arpeggios and melodies that ride over a chunky-sounding bass and dynamic drumming. Leo Margarit contributes his playful drumming skills, throwing in well-mixed, delicate polyrhythms and detailed touches on the cymbals to add a splash of color that pierces through the fuzzy wall of synths. The low end toms and bass drum also pan well throughout the album, never competing for room with the electronic soundscape.

Singularity comes across as a collection made to showcase B-side-sounding tracks to any of Kivokurtsev’s last few releases. The edgy synths and protracted rhythmic sections create a laid-back feel that’s set up to bridge the gap between Solar’s colorful sonic palette and the next assuredly dark and conceptual Echoes and Signals release. Singularity’s theme follows suit as it lightens up on storytelling to shine more light on the music, although the album’s sound comes across a bit benign. It’s a good set of tracks to get a taste of Kivokurtsev’s signature sound, but I’d sooner spin his previous records if I wanted Singularity’s blend of melancholic electronica and progressive rock.

---

Recommended Tracks: Temporal Waves, Cloud Gallery, Singularity
You may also like: Derev, Oak, Cellar Noise, Sisare
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Independent

Echoes and Signals is:
– Fedor Kivokurtsev (music/lyrics/guitar/bass/keys/vocals/mixing)
With guests:
– Leo Margarit (drums, drums recording)
– Alexander Perfilyev (mastering, guitar solo on “Temporal Waves”)