Synonymous with the braindance and IDM scene since its inception, Italian duo D’Arcangelo continue to bring eclectic forms of music reflecting on both past and present forays as we traverse through Arium.
Eclectic forms of music reflecting on both past and present
Synonymous with the braindance and IDM scene since its inception, Italian duo D’Arcangelo continue to bring eclectic forms of music reflecting on both past and present forays as we traverse through Arium, their latest 5-track EP available from Melbourne, Australian-based label A Colourful Storm.
From the off we are presented with melodic modular expositions; opener “Godsonix” welcomes us into a late night closing set basted in euphoria. “[Godsonix] was produced at a time when our music thinking was very open-minded,” as Marco reflects. “Picked from a hard drive containing sketches from 1998, it stands as a lost gem produced during the Shipwreck era,” according to ACS.
Moving forward, we delve into more beat-orientated jams in tracks “Arium” and “Spacing Out,” before we hit my favorite, “Duty,” that envelopes the previous sound motifs into a rejoice of elegant breaks. Often playful in tone, these tracks feature dark undercurrents that delicately engulf the sonic surroundings creating changing moods which provides in-depth listening values whilst including breathers within the mix.
The title track very much feels like the next days Bloody Mary to D’Arcangelo’s last outing on Analogical Force (Periscope EP); subtly tame with contemplation on times before, but with a little bit of peppered spice to keep you on your toes.
Similar to the Lapsus Records: Perennial Series, A Colourful Storm has a slight penchant for rejuvenating IDM pioneers on a modern platform. Previously they have released Still In Arms which is a vinyl compilation of tracks from the days of Merck, Toytronic, deFocus, and Neo Ouija—lets hope there are more releases like Arium and the prior in the pipeline.
Arium is available on A Colourful Storm. [Bandcamp]
