Reminding us of an earlier time when exp-electronics and Warp-era electronica were fresh, fulfilling, and doggoned unexpected, dgoHn’s sound is one to take note of.
Hitting even harder than previous releases
Hitting even harder than previous releases that simply pummeled us, Portus EP takes us through yet another mind-bending assortment of electronic delight courtesy of the ever-talented dgoHn aka sound-smith John Cunnane. Just over 20-minutes across four tracks, “Enclosed” opens with instrumental braindance and shuffling rhythms submerged in nostalgia—the twisted vocal element/sample is utter finesse as these rolling soundscapes escape us.
“Kind of sort of not really” is perhaps one of the finest tracks of 2022—the blurry childhood memories and BOC flare are in full effect as kaleidoscope drums, synth swirls, fuzzy vocal bits, and broken beat grooves are punctuated by an emotive draw of the senses that simply could spin infinitely. It’s just that good, and words don’t do it justice, seriously. Analogical Force have squeezed every ounce into this four-pack, with the flip side elevating the pace as “Nots” delivers funky, jungle / drum’n bass slivers wresting with distant melodies lost in space; a refined recipe that only dgoHn can cook up so well. Closing with the brittle bass tonic that is “Pox,” this low-end rumbling downtempo closure takes us back to familiar, late 90s, Photek with a relaxed sensibility.
Reminding us of an earlier time when exp-electronics and Warp-era electronica were fresh, fulfilling, and doggoned unexpected, dgoHn’s sound is one to take note of and thanks to labels like Analogical Force (and others of similar thread like Central Processing Unit, Concrete Collage, Touched Music, Schematic et al), we can revel in these roaring 20s as the next chapter is already taking shape this decade.
Portus is available on Analogical Force. [Bandcamp]
