South African-via-New York electronic artist Adrian Martens isn’t.
Martens goes under the nom du plume Dasychira, a name given to a very specific type of a moth. He seamlessly blends art and entomology not unlike Vladimir Nabokov, the famous novelist and author of “Lolita” on his new mini-album, “Immolated.” The EP is devoted to the life-cycle of a praying mantis. To some, watching these insects might seem unnerving, but Dasychira sees beauty in the varmints, stating “Insects have always been bizarre creatures to me, they're like living aliens that can constantly regenerate and morph themselves. The most superstitious occurrences I've had with insects are shrouded coincidental beauty or mystery.”
While the opening track “Reliquary” starts out as something that would be quite fitting as an introductory theme to a good horror movie, the album develops into a well-developed presentation of rather experimental electronic ideas, like an extension of the legacy that experimental electronic labels like Mille Plateaux or David Sylvian’s Samadhi Sound crafted. Dasychira finds himself in a constant flux between jarring, challenging soundscapes and innovative, melodic and rather beat-oriented structures, brushing with the lines of “already heard” but never crossing into the mundane.
“Caduceus” and “Immolated” come off as the album’s key themes, both tracks being great examples of Dasychira using new paths in electronic music to paint the idea of ambiguity of whether the life, in this case of a praying mantis, will continue or not. “Immolated” is smartly positioned as the heart of the album, punctuating its main theme, and coming out as the strongest track on the album. “Sensation” ushers in rhythmic elements, while “Vipera" (feat. Embaci) features otherworldly vocals that thematically cast in a seed of doubt, and are a pleasant surprise on the EP.
“Sanctuary” slowly winds thing down, starting off with agitated beats that gradually start to turn into murmured deep voices with spasms of beat gluing it all together. “Amity" (feat. Dviance) foreshadows the looming end of the project; the beats are practically gone and we are left with minimal defining electronic spasms, leaving us in a moment of harsh reality that there is no point of return.
As Martens says, it portrays the state of the praying mantis being paralyzed in a catatonic state, awaiting its immolation. A feeling not unlike ending a period of our lives; when we’re in the unknown, wondering if a new one will begin. Usually, it is that uncertainty that bothers us the most.
Martens has been able to portray these feelings quite accurately with this project, leaving us waiting for the next interesting release.
This music is a strong reminder that we shouldn’t be afraid of bugs; They might even provoke a phenomenal art.
Ask Nabokov, or Dasychira…
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