Dan Deacon “Bromst”
3/5

Dan Deacon is an artist of contrasts. For a person who resembles more a calypso-coloured accountant than the Jesus-like sampling machine you might expect at the centre of frenzied concerts; that is apparent.  These contrasts are designed to supposedly give us something unique from what we’ve seen or heard previously. Bromst manages to satisfy that criteria.

Of the Mountains is a fine example of the musical voyage in store. The track opens with all the percussion and smooth, layered harmony of Native African rite then jettisons the listener into the pixelated world of a Sega Space Adventure. In Snookered, Deacon takes the lullaby of a wind-up music-box and transforms it with freestyle synth, electronic reverb and hyperactive vocal sampling to something that would have the likes of Moby salivating.  While Wet Wings shows off Deacon’s true mechanical skills in the mixing studio, when he manipulates a blue-grass choral ditty, to create a track that fits the electronic mould.

With most tracks extending past the five minute mark on Bromst, patience is sometimes in want. The frantic pace and extent of sampling on many tracks may also leave you panting for breath. While the use, or rather, over-use of effects such as pitch-manipulation can become tiresome. For the most part, however, Bromst will leave you unsure what to make of the smorgasbord of sound, but with a curious desire to go back for more. That, at least beats hearing the same tired turf trampled time and again.

-Sam McCormack.