D-rradio - U_nderscore

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 15 / 8 / 2004

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Review

In the beginning four guys toiled around with recordings when they were presenting radio shows. From those efforts two recordings made it onto an earlier Static Caravan release from which d-rradio's debut single 'Dust And Guitars' was cut as a fine slab of urban dub. After that 7" single, from the realms of that radio studio came this sequence of pleasant and inciting electronica.   Label 'U_nderscore' post rock for your filing system though the concept of 'U_nderscore' is a dual one. Death Row Radio as is the quartet's full artist name have blended their sketchy ideas with a warm bath of subdued beats. The sound features tingles of acoustic instruments and it works like a metronome. The repetition has a surprising irregularity, as this mini-album gently switches from melancholia to quiet soundscapes. Nightly themes either transform into churchy epics or add a depth like from an orchestral cathedral organ. 'U_nderscore' drifts along with echoes of mammals mourning. Crispy beats then melt with remote angelic voices and Death Row frighteningly enough becomes like your rocking chair. The mini-album's momentum comes on 'Shake down the Stars' where breeze, depth and clicks go full force ahead. This natural progression leads to the wonderful closing track called 'Never Slept Better'. Tender sways then come to a breach as snare picking clashes with sonic flashes. It's an odd feel of country music rounding off a bubbly electronica affair.

Track Listing:-

1 No More Reaction
2 Just Because
3 Shake Down The Stars
4 Butterfly At Sea
5 So Happy It Hurts
6 First Thing Living
7 Never Slept Better

Label Links:-

http://www.staticcaravan.org/