Rikki Tikki Tavi Once Upon a Dream Review

Rikki Tikki Tavi opens Once Upon a Dream with “First Step,” a track whose keyboards brought to mind the eerie atmosphere of John Carpenter’s film scores from the late seventies and eighties. The sounds seem to hover in place, suggesting a parallel dimension where familiar rules of time and movement no longer apply. It is an intriguing entrance into this experimental instrumental EP.

“Under the Ground” introduces a pastoral mood through sounds that feel strangely electric. High frequencies cut through the air, giving the music a bright, almost charged surface. The rhythm moves freely, leaving room for individual sounds to cross paths and drift apart. Their interaction creates a sense of distance, as though the arrangement extends far beyond what we can hear.

There is an unusual balance between intimacy and vastness here. Small details catch the ear, and the space around them gives each phrase room to resonate. The music encourages you to follow its wandering movement and let your imagination fill in the surroundings.

Once Upon a Dream – Sound and Atmosphere

“Forest” lives up to its title. Listening to it, I could imagine vegetation closing around me, with light filtering through branches overhead. Its peculiar sounds seem to shimmer, suggesting tiny movements within a landscape that never quite settles. Nature takes on an unfamiliar appearance through Rikki Tikki Tavi’s electronic imagination.

The ability to suggest such vivid settings gives this project its visionary character. Each track establishes a different environment through texture, pitch, and the placement of sounds. The arrangements leave enough open space for the listener to explore those environments without a fixed destination.

“Morning” is a personal favorite. Its fresh sound wraps around you with a playful energy that made me picture a cybernetic circus arriving in town. There is something welcoming about this strange procession, as though its music invites you to step inside and discover what happens beneath the tent. The brighter atmosphere brings a distinct personality to the track while preserving the EP’s surreal quality.

The closing piece, “Silence,” carries this electronic delirium into more mysterious territory. It draws you into a setting that initially feels inviting, then introduces moments of harmonic instability. The progression becomes uneasy, and a faintly sinister mood starts to emerge. I imagined a decaying paradise, beautiful on the surface but full of obscure corners.

Once Upon a Dream – Performance and Production

The contrast between the sharp upper frequencies and the surrounding space gives the EP much of its character. Sounds glint, hover, and intersect, creating movement even when the music feels suspended. Rikki Tikki Tavi uses those relationships to sustain attention across five distinct pieces.

Once Upon a Dream deserves a listen with your eyes closed. Its experimental instrumental approach opens up seemingly infinite spaces, moving between pastoral visions, playful machinery, and quiet unease. I recommend it to anyone curious about music that can turn a few unusual sounds into an entirely imagined world.

Dreamy