#dakarius

https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=470206815/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=333333/artwork=small/transparent=true/

ESCALATORS is the first official release by DAKARIUS, an instrumental solo EP from this member of the Nightwave Collective in Toronto - a group of DJs that have been consistently bringing synthwave to live shows around the city for quite some time. It follows a series of SOUNDCLOUD uploads that showcased his efforts since first appearing online around two years ago.

Graced by a very effective cyberpunk cover art, the album starts off with BLACK ROSE, an apt introduction to the eerie universe shaped by the sounds on these seven tracks.

Brooding basses, hissing leads and an emphasis on percussions all work together to create a darkly claustrophobic atmosphere, with rhythms and harmonies somehow reminiscent of an era of futuristic decadence.

A distinct trance-y feeling permeates all of the compositions, a feature that helps bring contrast to the more melodic aspects present on each of the songs and resulting in a tangible tension that develops effectively throughout the listening experience.

The epicenter of the album, VIDEOMOTEL, stands as a great example of this combination as it alternates heavenly melodies with a dire and inescapable martial beat that picks up speed as it marches towards the end of the track, to suddenly disappear in a bittersweet finale.