Vol 1

Rising enigmatic Brighton songwriter Milo Korbenski precedes his full debut for Phantom Limb with Vol. 1, a collection of key tracks taken from previous self-releases, exemplifying his trademark haunted, heavy, unique art-dream-indie-pop earworms.

Milo Korbenski is a shadowy, anonymous Brighton solo musician only publicly seen in a featureless white mask, Stetson and denim jacket. However, his deeply expressive take on lo-fi slacker indie invokes a heartfelt intimacy, singing straight from the soul. A true auteur, and inexhaustibly prolific, Milo recorded, designed and self-released a number of albums on streaming platforms (and enjoyed staggering listening figures) without any backing, and only recently signed his first record deal. The fruits of this self-releasing period are collected on Vol. 1, in celebration not only of his first initiation into a label roster, but also of the thrilling deftness of his songcraft. The collection explores a multitude of catchy-as-hell hooks, clever lyrical wordplay, and deceptively lean instrumentation that belies its own simplicity.

The music of Vol 1. (which, Milo is keen to stress, are early recordings preceding his debut proper) crosses references points as broadly spread as Kurt Vile, Helado Negro, The xx, The Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie Sioux, Jagwar Ma and Calvin Johnson while retaining a vitally singular energy. Milo’s underlying unreality is more haunted than the indie-leaning acts mentioned here, and the readymade homespun cassette sonics lend a charm beyond the prettified sheen of his pop influences.