I'm starting off my series of Bandcamp reviews with what is so far my favorite work amongst the electronic stuff I've checked out.
Having designed sound for stage productions and at least one piece for an independent film (which unfortunately didn't make the final cut) gives Dragonfly Lingo's Mitia Wexler a bit of an edge in implementing the concept for his debut album, Offscreen.
Dragonfly Lingo is a prime example of a competent artist utilizing Bandcamp to distribute music. (The page, incidentally, is also a good example of how BC's functionality can be integrated into an artist's own site.) Combining technical skill with a passion for cinema, Offscreen sees snippets from various films set to an outstanding industrial soundtrack. From the artist's comments on the album:
"As fate will have it, a music sound producer ends up working in film and during a dry spell period, he remembers an idea he once had to marry his passion for music with that of cinema. Quite often when watching films, he hears parts of the dialogue as if they were sung. At such times, he feels only music is lacking to turn them into an accomplished piece. He subsequently gets to work, using his musical and sound skills to make an album."
The selections from the films (which you can find credited on the website) are neatly edited into hard-hitting, electronic compositions inspired by the films themselves. The opening track "Strange to Say," for example, features a dialog snippet from The Exorcist, and an appropriately dark atmosphere. However, in a way that I find difficult to articulate, the tracks are not as predictable as one might expect. They aren't the sort of compositions that would necessarily "fit" into the films themselves; rather, each one is inspired by the corresponding film as a whole. "The Vortex" is a particularly interesting example; it dramatically shifts gears partway through, and would be better suited to a montage from the associated Hellraiser II than as a component of its soundtrack. "Sun's Here" is an eerie, non-aggressive track, and a haunting take on Close Encounters.
Complemented by a remix EP for Morningside and a pair of additional tracks (a remix, and the aforementioned track originally composed for a film), Offscreen is one of many expertly crafted albums that can be found on BC. It's a bit short, clocking in at about half an hour, but well worth the $4.40 it's posted for. Feel free to give it a listen first if you don't believe me. The companion releases are CC-licensed, and are free to download and share. If you're into industrial and/or electronic music, you should be heading over to check out Dragonfly Lingo right now.
* Until 2 Jan 2011, Dragonfly Lingo is holding an interesting giveaway (started yesterday) that you can participate in by spreading the word online. Details are in this post on the homepage. *
Sunday, December 19, 2010
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2 comments:
Just came back to add a comment and noticed a goof in the review. When I described the track "Sun's Here," I intended to mention that it's a fitting closing track. I guess that isn't terribly important to point out, but that sentence looks incomplete and out of place to me now. Damn it. :-/
So anyway, I'm listening to the album again, and I'll be damned if it doesn't get better every time. If you want to hear a good, sort of "modern industrial" track, listen to "Sensor Techniques"...really loud, if possible. Great fucking piece. Just wanted to tack that on here; the song is worth a mention.
You might as well play "Morningside" that loud too, while you're at it. ;-)
Another update to this: it seems that Dragonfly Lingo is going to eventually release Offscreen as an LP, with two additional tracks that are in the works. Keep an eye out for the upcoming Flux as well.
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