These unearthed sound archives, which have the aura of dusty electronica and give us the impression that we have been living with these auditory Polaroids for a while, are arguably one of 2024’s least expected surprises.
Vintage shuffling textures
Stephen Donaldson, a multi-talented musician from Dublin, Ireland (also known as Sleep Underwriter and Flathan), has just released vintage shuffling textures, dub, synths, and UK garage elements that were created more than ten years ago for Archive. His talent for disjointed rhythms and low-flying grooves is inspiring—listen to the BoC infusion of “Buzz Baron” or the wilting elegance and detuned melodies of “Thirds Nightmare.” Brainwaltzera and Burial parallels such as “The Fear” or “Tape Cassette Blues” are also highlights to take notice of.
Archive sounds like the meeting point of the three above-mentioned musical movements where Flathan takes solace in hazy, disorienting soundtracks and slow rhythm juggling sequences (“Can’t Save”) that transition seamlessly between different eras. We’re also taken back in time by the sentimental overtones and hazy instruments mingled with field recordings as evidenced on “1996.” These unearthed sound archives, which have the aura of dusty electronica and give us the impression that we have been living with these auditory Polaroids for a while, are arguably one of 2024’s least expected surprises.
Archive is available on Aduaine. [Bandcamp]
