BOOMVISION releases debut album ‘Arcade’

London-based artist and producer Boom Buratto, operating under the artistic banner of BOOMVISION, has long been a vital presence in the city’s DIY music scene as a touring musician, advocate for queer and trans rights and co-founder of the charity Spark The Noise. Blending a cutting edge creative instinct with a sense of social consciousness, BOOMVISION’s work sits at the crossroads of artistic vision, chaos and community. Describing themselves as “a craftsman, a craftTHEM even – of chaos and sound,” their art has always been about transformation, both personal and collective.

Unveiled in June this year, the BOOMVISION project arrived as an exciting new chapter in their artistic journey. Following a string of singles including debut track “JUNE,” the project now comes into full focus with Arcade, a debut full-length visual album that stands as a profoundly personal and politically charged work. Drawing on Boomvision’s Italian-British heritage and their experiences with identity and expression, Arcade fuses electronic experimentation, punk-based DIY vibes and mythological storytelling to form a world entirely its own.

Penned during a period of turbulence, marking the end of a long-term relationship and BOOMVISION’s coming out as non-binary, Arcade became both a sonic journal and a process of rebirth. “Arcade came about during this seminal part of my life: between the end of the first book of adulthood and the beginning of the second one,” they recall. “You suddenly have this massive grief and nostalgia for what’s been and will never be again, but also hope, fear and excitement of what’s to come.”

Each track on the record takes its name from a Street Fighter character, used as an archetype to channel emotion and explore identity while the sound takes shape through a fusion of glitchy electronics, distorted vocals and cinematic textures. The project also extends far beyond sound; the album is accompanied by a 35-minute film and a limited run of illustrated zines, offering a multisensory exploration of identity, grief and transformation.

The visual album recounts the tale of two Arcadian warriors, Drago and Luce, rebelling against the dogma of Mintaka, a fictional world inspired by the artist’s upbringing in Italy. Singing in Italian for the first time since leaving home, Boom revisits their origins with both tenderness and full-circle defiance. Created alongside a collective of queer artists including dancers Luke Vincent and Paige Baker-Carroll, producer Jess Cheetham and director Jacek Zmerz, Arcade distils collaboration as resistance. “Protest isn’t just about resistance. It’s about hope and collective imagination,” Boom says.

Kicked off with “ELIZA/KEN,” the album starts with the gently flicker of jangly guitar tones as airy vocal leads drift above, forming a dreamy soundscape that flows with hazy atmosphere to deliver an immersive intro piece. “ROSE” follows with the pulse of rhythm and twang of guitar notes as elegant vocal elements add smooth melodies before the punch of drums sets up an engrossing musical voyage that’s moody and intricate from start to finish. “HADOUKEN” frames ideas of collective uprising through a fuzzy slice of downtempo alternative pop where industrial textures and intense vocals combine to create a gripping listening experience.

Other highlights include tracks like “CHUN LI” with its thumping beats, bouncy synth shots and compelling vocal lines which roll above to spin catchy melodies. Progressing with shifting arrangement and wholly absorbing aesthetic, it’s a stunning display of BOOMVISION’s wild creativity and thoroughly visionary output.

“RYU” serves up a breakup anthem embodying what Boom calls “main character energy” which glides with fluttering synth layers, rattling percussive shots and emotive vocal performance, crafting an alluring scene that deftly balances the flurry of lively instrumentation with delicate songwriting, all wrapped up in transportive sound design. With Arcade, BOOMVISION has crafted something truly spectacular, a debut that’s as moving as it is visionary, transforming chaos into catharsis and sound into a living, breathing mythology.

Listen to Arcade below