East of Oceans

Ride or Die

I have already proclaimed on more than one occasion that it is impossible to keep up with the output of Brock Van Wey. This prolific electronic musician dabbles not only in gorgeous ambiance and emotional electronica but also in soundtracks, deep house, and much more. Just today, I was trying to absorb the latest album by bvdub titled Farewell, released on Silent Reign – yet another outlet for Brock’s relentless output. The most “annoying” thing for me is that I truly think that it’s all great. So how do I pick a favourite, or highlight an album in this column that I think you should pick up? Thankfully [for me], this write-up is not about bvdub. It’s not even about his other moniker, Earth House Hold. Today we’re spending time with East Of Oceans – a somewhat elusive project that surfaces every few years (as opposed to every month). The thing with Brock is — if you know, you know — it doesn’t matter whether he changes the genre, or the bpm, throws in some vocals or some beats. At the heart of each piece is still that person that I know on the inside, even with all of his imposing looks [tattoos and all] on the outside. Yes, as Brock writes on his Bandcamp, there is plenty of pure happiness, pure joy, and pure everything all at once. But even as he attempts to throw at me everything that could possibly encompass this fantastic artist, all of the insane, overclocked, and broken rhythms, all of the deep, rumbling, and distorted basslines, all of the distant chords, jumbled up lyrics, and sped-up loops, with tracks that scream for my attention with their everything and all at once, beneath the thick sonic layers, beneath the twitchy grime and face-planted slab of sound, it’s still profoundly touching, very much vulnerable, and maybe even sad. And that’s what Ride or Die is all about. At least for me…

DNGLS

La route des Alpes – 1921

DNGLS may initially sound like a new or previously ‘undiscovered’ artist, but behind the alias, you will find Maxime Dangles, a French producer whom I’ve showcased on these pages before (see this track premiere, for example). I wish I could attribute the music on La route des Alpes – 1921 to a specific genre. But, as usual, there are no categories here. Suffice it to say that if you like Burial, you will enjoy this journey through the Alps. Yes, one would think that once Burial ripped the band-aid off his particular take on garage meets dubstep meets ambient, distilled through a nocturnal and emotionally-haunted electronica, everyone would jump on that bandwagon, and follow through. But, for one reason or another, this wasn’t the case. And yet, when you listen to Dangles’ second track on the album, “Ascension” or “Rouche & Glace”, you’re immediately transported to those murky days of Untrue (and damn, Burial’s self-titled turns 10 years old next May!). But back to La route des Alpes. This album is actually a film score, and was commissioned by the Scène Nationale du Lux in Valence for a cine-concert on André Bayard’s 1921 silent film. This is a journey through the regions like Évian, Col du Galibier, and Mont Blanc. And although we don’t have the silent film, we’ve got this music for you. “Epic flights echoing the grandeur of the landscapes, a deep sense of nostalgia, darker tracks shaped by the harshness of the elements, later contrasted by the lightness of clearings traced by his synthesizers, a fragile, skin-deep composition elevated by immersive and masterful sound design.” I liked this album a lot, and I was initially planning to premiere a track for you on here, but time slipped by, as I got swallowed up by Headphone Community, where I am spending most of my time and energy these days. And that’s all good, since now you get a dedicated write-up. Pick this one up from the French Lifeguards / IFT imprint.