| Sometimes, I can't drag myself out of bed in the morning because I still feel exhausted when I open my eyes, and sometimes I refuse to relinquish sleep simply because I don't want to leave my dreams behind. The latter is the effect caused by Denies the Day's Demise, Daedelus' latest release on Mush Records. Departing from the glitchy 4/4 hip-hop rhythms of 2005's Exquisite Corpse, Denies puts Daedelus' swing-era jazz samples into dizzying electronic song structures that are heavily influenced by Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova. The dreamlike nature of these songs is a product of unexpected juxtapositions; each track on the album is as accessible as a pop song, and yet remains whimsically unpredictable due to Daedelus' consistently inventive mixture of warm analog samples and disaffected electronics. The beautiful piano riffs in "Nouveau Nova" and the obfuscated strings in "Never None the Wiser" are perfect examples of Daedelus' mastery of his strange craft. These tracks show not only an ability to experiment, but also a profound respect and understanding of what's come before - rarely are samples, be they mined or created, used with such finesse. The antipodal atmosphere of the album is cemented by the original Winsor McCay art used for the cover, as Little Nemo's adventures in Slumberland seem like the antithesis of denying the days demise. Daedelus may be too out there to take the pop world by storm, but he'll continue to attack us where we're most vulnerable, on the wavering border between madness and dreams. - Signal to Noise |
2XLP/Out Of Print