Zemlja (Single 2025)

Earthset

Alternative Progressive Post Rock

Today’s time is characterized by uncertainty, where fear and hope are close together in many ways. Artists like Teleport Collective pick up those feelings, creating musical fantasy worlds, painting a bright future. „Zemlja“ is a song like this, turning this reality to a positive image. 

‚Zemlja‘ means ‚earth‘ in serbo-croatian, and so this is Earthset’s ‚song for the earth‘. After their scores for „Nosferatu“, „Earth“ (Original title: „Zemlya“) and „The Adventures Of Prince Ahmed“, they entered OL Music Studio to record this new single, mastered at Fonoprint Studios. The monochrome artwork takes back to the grayscale artworks of „Pills“ or „Tourists and Terrorists“ from „Bound“. 

It displays a corny picture of probably the planet earth, or mars, or maybe the moon, as the surface is unclear. There is a glimmer of light on the horizon, going vertically from top to bottom. Like if it wanted to say, no matter how dark, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel in the distance, when the sun will rise again. 

In the beginning of the song, there is the bass, duelling with the drums. A smooth melody and distortion build a stomping beat, marching all the way from the ear to the extremities. This blend, as Earthset label it themselves, is their trademark, building the foundation for their sound. Basic soft harmonies like Softengine, scattered with noises like Rollins Band especially towards the end. 

The singing line reminds of the Foo Fighters during their „There’s Nothing Left To Lose“ era, before a final separate instrumental part. The steady strength is from other Prog acts like Vøvk or Red Sun Atacama. So it invites to bang ones head as well as to lay it to rest and dwell in fantasies, dreaming of better times.