Review: Hoax Vision’s Viktoria makes the most of her “Bad Habits” with debut EP

TWENTY year old Victoria Yam is an artiste in every sense of the word. Working under youth platform/imprint HOAX Vision, Victoria a.k.a Viktoria, has etched herself in internet wilderness as the proverbial sad girl in the realm of experimental electronic music.

Heavy on effects, her music features distorted and layered voices and a distinctly ethereal edge. Think of a cross between a drugged up Lana Del Rey and an early-career FKA Twigs, with production influenced by the likes of Clams Casino and SpaceGhostPurp.

Viktoria first made serious impact with last September’s notorious Saccharine mixtape, a collaboration with fellow HOAX songstress ZSYIA. The mixtape’s off beat production (courtesy of HOAX in-house producer f r s) and hazy, cloudy, vocal delivery brought listeners to a temporal peak of Malaysia’s ever-expanding experimental electronic scene. Both artistes soon began recruiting their own cult following, leading them to records of their own.

Fast forward 8 months later and out comes Viktoria’s debut EP Good Girl, Bad Habits.

The EP was first brought to awareness due to lead single “Nothing More” , which comes complete with a as haunting and lo fi imaginable, boasting a unique aesthetic that Viktoria (and much of HOAX Vision) presents through her artistry.

The track also opens the EP, and with it’s eerie piano intro reminiscent of the theme from the The X Files paired with Viktoria’s doctored vocals made to sound almost demonic, “Nothing More” immediately sets the mood for the entire project.

Although reliant on effects in her music, Viktoria shows promise in her vocal delivery. “Hooked on You” features a relatively stripped-down performance which sets aside vocal processing for vulnerability, as Viktoria laments an addiction. Unable to pull away, she lets her melancholy roam free, accompanied only by minimal production and wandering string quartets.

Good Girl, Bad Habits however takes a swift turn in its latter half.

“Dark City” sees Viktoria revel in her need for things that are simply no good for her. The track is notable for her vocal performance, soaring into her upper register — a refreshing change in the wake of the gloom and solemnity of the record. “Up All Night” meanwhile lightens the mood; convincing her followers to embrace hopelessness, the EP’s closer is a house-infused tune proving Viktoria’s versatility.

With her moody Good Girl, Bad Habits, Viktoria lives up to her moniker as HOAX Vision’s patron #SADGIRL. Look forward to more material from this one.

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Good Girl, Bad Habits EP is available to stream on Spotify and available for purchase on iTunes now!