Itef - conspicuous consumption

​Itef

conspicuous consumption
​self-released; 2022

3.8 out of 5

By My Nguyen

Itef is an Italian independent DIY artist who is working with dream pop and electronic genres as well as hip-hop to give you his latest offering conspicuous consumption. On this eight-track collection, Itef packs in bittersweet and melancholic melodies from his personal experiences and imbues these tracks with things that happened in the past that he just can’t get over. Overall, this gives these tracks a very nostalgic pull that is a huge factor in Itef’s sound. 

conspicuous consumption begins with “eternal oblivion,” where some synths welcome the vibes on this track. As the beats gain traction, the song becomes more upbeat. The riffs have a very pop appeal. During the chorus, Itef leans towards some auto-tuned vocals for dissonance. To the sound of some retro-styled beats that reminded me of the ‘80s, Itef’s vocals arrived on “you know what we did last summer (ft. MC MOTTA).” I was reminded of Owl City here. He had a great poppy vibe that a lot of bedroom pop fans will love. MC MOTTA joins Itef on this song. This proved to be a dynamic duet. Some synths ignite the start of “sagittarius.” The vibes are very atmospheric and ambient. With a dark appeal, Itef’s vocals come in with an enigmatic quality on “birthday at midnight (ft. Marianna Bennett).” Itef’s vocals together with Bennett’s soft ones made for a really resonating sound. 

More mysterious and atmospheric vibes come from the artist on “why are we so obsessed with someone else?” The vocals are spoken word alongside some jaunty beats. “damnatio memoriae” starts off to the sound of some melodious keys and synths. Once Itef’s vocals arrive, I was getting some very airy vibes. The riffs and beats really drew me in. On “gossip (ft. Julian Vaur),” some hip hop grooves settle in for an ominous vibe. Itef reels us in with his provocative rap style. I was entranced by the hypnotizing vibes right from the start. “conspicuous consumption” starts with the sound of some dissonant xylophones. Itef spits out his verses with total ease. He definitely had a great flow here. The record closes with this happening send-off. 

​While some tracks are slow grooving, there are a few noteworthy ones like the opener “eternal oblivion” and “birthday at midnight” that have a very dance-worthy vibe. Eclectic and electric all at once, there’s tons to appreciate here with a little for everyone on this album. From pop, electronic to some R&B, fans of the aforementioned genres will find a lot to appreciate on this release.

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