The results are captivating as Dorosoto and Hanut Munson both display downtempo, emotive, and saccharine rhythms playing off each other.
Kaleidoscopic sound-vistas
Dorosoto and Hanut Munson offer a joint release spread over thirteen cascading tracks on Distant Parallels with the Barcelona-based “twisted electronics” imprint Evel Records. The results are captivating as they both display downtempo, emotive, and saccharine rhythms playing off each other—especially evidenced on the opening piece “Random Test” by Dorosoto. The kaleidoscopic sound-vistas both musicians transmit are utterly creative and spellbinding; relaxed and powerful at the same time.
Hanut Munson delivers on a more Boards of Canada trajectory, “Silabsolb” being the perfect counterpart of times gone by, memories drifting in the background, with the tiniest instrumental moments and pitter-patter beats calming the senses. Hanut Munson’s tranquilized ambient layers on “What is it_electr_haz” contrast Dorosoto’s colorful sonic hues (ref. “Particle (3am)” and the ambient-glitch morsels of “Algae.”) A pathway drenched in emotional electronic flutter, the aptly titled album does just what it sets out to accomplish. Creating vast soundscapes where distant parallels to each other’s work is complimented by their ability to activate our feelings.
There are some atmospheric and more instrumental works here too; take, for example, Hanut Munson’s “Passing Clouds” where interluding synth notes swell to the foreground with a fuzzy electrical core as Dorosoto’s exploratory “Smoke Signals” signals rhythmic and almost tribal echoes deep in the background. Let’s not forget the pseudo-shoegaze formation of new galaxies on the closing piece “Distort It Again (Dorosoto Mix)”—an all too short foray that could loop infinitely.
What we have here is a top contender in our Best of 2023 list and an album we’ll have on repeat in the months (and years) ahead.
Distant Parallels is available on Evel. [Bandcamp]
