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Damaskin, "Unseen Warfare"
Straddling the line between carefully programmed electronic rhythms and aggressive dissonance, this EP strikes an odd, yet fascinating balance between the two. Parts of the album are familiar, reminiscent of late 1990s electronica, but Damaskin takes the final product in a different direction, however, and puts a unique spin on a familiar sound.
I could not help but detect a bit of drum and bass influence to the sound of Unseen Warfare, though it would not necessarily sit too nicely amongst the classics of that genre.While the skittering rhythms on "Glory" might fit into that same rhythmic template, the standard drum and synth samples are replaced with sloshing water and cricket like noises to resemble something entirely different.
The same complex, chaotic rhythms appear on the title song as well, heavily panned and bouncing erratically from left to right.The careful, deliberate rhythm programming is not too far removed from the likes of older Photek or Source Direct, but again the sound is made up of a slew of violent and aggressive noises rather than anything clearly identifiable or traditional.
The flip side of this vinyl leans into more of a traditional techno sound, but maintains the same ugly, unique identity.On "Remembrance of Death," there is a looser, slightly off kilter sense to the song, overall, that at times almost seems to drift off-beat in a way that keeps things on edge.The rhythm is more conventional, but features some wonderfully processed handclap sounds that violently slice through the mix.
"Contra Theatra" closes the record, and initially is heavily steeped in repetition.Thin, brittle rhythms at first lock in solidly atop a distorted synth pattern that could almost work on a dance floor.Soon, however, pieces come and go, layers shift in dynamics, and everything around that steady beat keeps changing and evolving to excellent effect.
A quick Google search did not manage to uncover much about the member(s) of Damaskin, and admittedly the mystery made Unseen Warfare all the more intriguing.With the proliferation of clichéd electronic music, I appreciated the ties to genres past without sounding like everyone else.Best of all there is this excellent, dirty edge to these four songs that puts this record into a world unto itself, and gives me faith that this genre may still have a meaningful future to it.
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