Friday 7 September 2012

The 2kDozen 500: #302 - Dan Deacon, "America"

Modest title, Dan.

Nicely hyperactive. "True Thrush" sounds like an Orbital tune that's been micro-mangled by some kind of nano technology into a still-glorious but quite upfucked polygon. Perhaps this is the way Dan sees his home country. He wouldn't be the first. I've heard quite a lot of music that fits in those kinds of irregular holes of late. I'm not sure whether this is something in our time that inspires this musical direction, this nervy euphoria. Or whether it's just the technology. Which knocks on to my next question: is it the technology that liberates and expresses some previously incommunicable instinct, or is the composer subject to the technological will? Eh? Asimov that, my friends!


Either way, it's an enjoyable rush. Silicon percolation, a musical soda stream. The last four tracks assemble together under the titles "America I" to "America IV". They're given titles about trains and deserts and "Manifest". It's a little like watching the history of North America unfold from space while some machinery beeps in your ear. Part 2, "The Great American Desert" has a very satisfying squelch. Not very deserty, but it's nice.

Rating: Euphoric Nanotech out of Historical Orbit

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