A Closer Listen
Toda la verdad sobre Dame Area (The whole truth about Dame Area) is an atypical choice for A Closer Listen, but its power is irresistible. On their fourth album, Dame Area (the Italian-Catalan duo of Silvia Konstance and Viktor Lux Crux) has made a major shift in sound, from melodic, romantic electro-synth to aggressive industrial with shouted phrases. When compared to Toda la mentira sobre Dame Area’ / ‘All the Lies about Dame Area, one can appreciate the progression. Programmed drums have given way to percussion; the tone has grown unsettling; and any doubt is dispelled by the cover art. Not that the duo was ever mainstream ~ one can hear the occasional yelps and screams, even on the last production ~ but this year, they’ve given into their darkest impulses, resulting in an album that sounds looser and freer.
It doesn’t take long to feel the energy. The 168 BPM “Is no es hoy cuendo es” builds in volume, the chants growing ever more insistent, the drums increasing in density until the massive mid-piece breakdown, which sounds like kettle drums on acid. Konstance’s voice is momentarily distorted before returning to echo. From this point, the track only grows more aggressive, with growling, screaming and even more drums. Underground clubs are going to love this. In contrast, “Vengo dall’aldilà” is slower but not slow, proving that one doesn’t need more than drums and chants if both work in tandem. By “Sempre cambiare,” the synth is back, a nod to the prior album, but so are the screams. In the confrontational “Striscia,” Konstance digs to the very bottom of her throat to produce sounds as close to kaiju as a human can create. The urgency is reminiscent of Nitzer Ebb, but the delivery makes even that classic hard industrial band seem soft. After a segment of military drums, the track turns over to expose its belly; it’s time for the record to be flipped.
Victor Lux Crux pounds into Side B with insistent percussion, backed by foreboding synth. There will be no letdown here. The rapid-fire percussion in the center makes one think of armies going to war, while a brief, complete stop demonstrates the artistry of the drumline. One can imagine Crux dropping a stick (the equivalent of dropping the mike), but he’ll need it for the remaining tracks, the best of which is still to come.
“Esto es nuestro ruido” (“This is our noise”) is that track. The piece is swift and assertive from the start, but the percussion and vocal burst through multiple levels until they reach unimaginable heights. Konstance puts her entire life force into her vocals while Cruz makes every subsequent minute seem even louder than the one before. By the end, both duo and listeners are spent.
It’s impossible to overstate how effective the duo’s seismic shift has been; they have honored their influences, many of whom are decades older, and have come up with something new, exciting and unique. They may be paying tribute to industrial pioneers, but this is their noise. (Richard Allen)
Thu Sep 12 00:01:00 GMT 2024