"Darklife" by Death's Dynamic Shroud
Rating: 9/10
Man, it's hard to put exactly how this album feels into words. I think what I eventually landed on is "This is what future pop sounds like" but even then, it's being quite generous with what would be acceptable as pop music. It's pop in my mind, much the same way that hyperpop can be pop music, even if its not really approachable to most. But what the trio of Death's Dynamic Shroud (DDS) did here is such a strong testament to the evolution of vaporwave and electronic music in general. Stay does such an amazing job of setting the stage. It tells us we're in for a dramatic time with pitch warped vocals, choral swells and dynamic percussion just ripping the entire track to pieces. Crazy synthesizer layers that just melt together to create a sonic pallete of ooey gooey and raw electronics. As a music producer myself, I have no idea how they did it. I'm just at a loss. Obviously, tunes like Judgement Bolt and Neon Memories have strong places as opening the album up. Both of them are epic monsters, with choruses, hooks, grand arrangements, and fantastic mental visuals.
Other tracks like Fade Persona and Messe de E-102 just help compliment the entire album, and tunes like After Third Heaven further flesh out the drama. I find myself listening to these tunes with my eyes closed, picturing the hollow, smokey world that DDS has put together. If I had any critique at all on the album, I'd have to say that the back half feels a little lackluster compared to the front half, but that's not to say that it's weak. It's still VERY good, but you can tell where all the singles were placed in the tracklist. Which is interesting that Fall For Me is down there since that had a little music video made as well (I should spend more time on the back half honestly). Long story short, definitely worth a listen. You'll really need to get behind a great pair of speakers/headphones to really appreciate some of the heavy grinding textures or sparkly uplifting notes. This album really continues to floor me more and more each listen. I can't stress it enough. Perfect Angel is basically hyperglitch, and it's RIGHT up my alley. Other tracks are nice ambient soundscapes that help draw you in and place you at a specific moment in time; a headspace in which you should absorb the album. They do a fantastic job.
Overall, yeah, I have to give this album a 9/10, mainly because as beautiful as the ambient pieces were, I had a hard time remembering which was which. The album is just STACKED with bangers, and I know that there's something here for everyone.
-teig