Furniture Records regular, Gagi Petrovic, returns with his latest, a very personal piece entitled Unfold Yourself. Composer, performer, and teacher, Gagi tends to focus more on performance instead of recording, but for those of us that are unable to catch him live, we're treated to a wonderfully engaging piece of electronics with Unfold Yourself. Much like the title states, this album takes its time, opens up to allow the listener in, then lays out the beauty of its message, slowly and deliberately. An album that benefits from repeated listens, Unfold Yourself has many aspects to latch on to, with differing outcomes depending on state of mind.

 

Unfold Yourself is a seven-song journey of personal exploration, growth, and expression. Leaning more toward the minimal side of electronics, Petrovic's latest allows the listener ample time and space to absorb the subtle tones and oscillations that pour forth. Because of this, one is able to process the thoughts and emotions that arise just by being in the presence of these well chosen waveforms. As personal as this was for Petrovic, it should be for each listener as well, and since life takes on many forms and attitudes, Unfold Yourself plays to both sides of the coin as well. For each piece of thoughtful solitude like "Rejuvenate" and "Arise," there are cacophonous outbursts of emotion like "Erupt" and "Disrupt." The balance between soft and rough aptly describes the ranges of the human experience, and each listener will be able to find themselves in each piece through varying times while listening. Petrovic's tracks are laid out fairly languidly, with each song following an unhurried but expressive path. These electronic outings play to a fairly small range of tones and frequencies, but the restraint adds familiarity and helps Unfold Yourself to quickly become entrenched in the listener's heart and mind.

 

Proving that one can speak volumes without saying too much, Gagi Petrovic's Unfold Yourself fits a lot of thought and emotion into a relatively small spectrum of sounds and textures. These layers and tones are well thought out and designed to utilize each moment to the fullest, and this keeps the album lean, listenable, and engaging. Built for repeated listens and emotional deep-dives, Unfold Yourself is a soundtrack to aid in self-discovery and self-expression.