Damian’s Ghost: After Life EP (Astrophonica, 2023)

April 30, 2023 at 3:11 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Damian’s Ghost: After Life EP

The first track on this EP, “Voices”, is one of those tunes where you immediately feel like something remarkable is happening and you’re excited to be witnessing it. It rolls in graciously, and a voice repeating the phrase “I hear voices in my head…” hooks you in, eventually revealing the completion of the thought: “I try not to listen”. There’s some footwork kicks in there, but overall it’s just blissful atmospheric jungle that doesn’t get too heavy. Truly transportive club music, something that’s going to trigger feelings when I hear it in the future. “Look at the Lights” is a pretty mellow, pleasant roller with a Kool Keith sample. “High Places” could easily be mixed out of the previous track, as the very beginning sounds very similar, but then it reveals some tighter, choppier drum rolls and more expressive synth pads. When the Amens kick in, it’s such a massive rush of dread, ecstasy, and melancholy all at once. Like finally having to take the plunge and face something you’ve been trying to put off and avoid for so long. Fortunately listening to it is a much more enjoyable experience, but it still points to something emotionally heavy. “In the Night” is a straight-through rave cruiser, which has some tense synths but otherwise feels a bit lighter than some of the other tracks here. Solid EP all around.

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