V.E.N!, short for Virtual Emotions Network, is the project of Spanish musician Edu Campoy. He mixes melodic power pop and alternative rock with a progressive streak, borrowing from the bright songcraft of 1960s pop, the confidence of Britpop, and the sharper edges of post-punk.
Waking Up in the Night
His new EP runs six songs and roughly twenty minutes, and the title sums up its mood perfectly. These are the thoughts that creep in at 3 a.m. when the house is silent, the big questions about who you are, who you connect with, and where you are headed that refuse to let you sleep. Across the record, Campoy digs into self-reflection, spiritual questions, and a slow kind of awakening, but he never lets the heavy themes weigh down the tunes.
“Connection” opens the EP and serves as its lead track, and it is the ideal way in. It moves between hushed, gentle passages and bursts of louder indie-rock bite, with power-pop melodies keeping everything catchy. Lyrically, it captures the ache of wanting a real conversation with someone and getting nothing but silence in return, a feeling plenty of listeners will know far too well. Campoy’s voice suits it, calm and clear in the quieter moments and roughening up when the guitars kick in.
“Break The Compass” turns the attention inward, trading thoughts of other people for questions about your own direction. The title says it all: throw away the map and find your own way. It leans harder into alternative rock than the opener, with heavier, fuzzed-up guitars, but the hooks stay front and centre.
“The Scared Animal” is the most exposed song here, looking at vulnerability, instinct, and the tangled feelings that shape how people react when they feel threatened. “Crossing The Last Valley” then looks further outward, a song about perseverance and pushing through the hard stretches toward whatever lies on the other side.
The final two songs bring the story home. “Evolution” deals with change and growth, wrestling with identity and awareness, while “The Home Of The New Man” closes on a hopeful, reflective note, imagining a better future built from everything that came before. It is a satisfying ending for a record that spends so much time searching.
What ties it all together is balance. The guitars are often loud and gritty, with a few big, ringing riffs, yet the songwriting stays tight and tuneful, and there is even a touch of Americana-style storytelling in places. For a record so wrapped up in inner questions, it is remarkably easy to listen to.
Final Thoughts
What stands out most about “Waking Up in the Night” is how well it pairs big, searching ideas with songs that are genuinely fun to hear. Campoy never lets the introspection turn heavy-handed, and the blend of power-pop hooks and rougher alternative rock keeps all six tracks moving. “Connection” and “Break The Compass” are the clear highlights, but the EP works best taken as a whole, from the restless opener to the hopeful close. It is a thoughtful, catchy record that will hit home for anyone who has ever lain awake with too much on their mind.
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