Halabarda by Donija
SPLOT continues to push boundaries of Wroclaw’s soundscape with the ninth release, introducing another of the city's most interesting electronic music artists, Donija, who is marking the official debut with his first solo EP, Halabarda. Across five tunes, the co-founder of zerozero collective incorporates the elements of deconstructed bass, irregular techno, bubbling ambient and everything in between.
Opener 'Helikonia' feels like an homage to late summer nights. It’s dense and hypnotic, loaded with Donija’s growing love for breakbeat techno. It brings the push-pull extent with its cut up transness. '2BWC', in its rough and deadlocking bassiness, bluntly marks the versatility of the artist and reveals how many surprises await us in the rest of the material. Despite its dynamic nature of going through hills and valleys, it balances out tension.
"And nowadays… this is the sound of the underground”... Symbolically, using one of the most popular vocal samples, 'RUE' goes hard on sharp and sculpted rhythms. Killer, banger, pride that contains a tribute to minimal techno, romantic IDM and the pervasive influence of the old UK tech-house. On the most recent work, 'GLASS IT OR GRAIN IT', cosmic bassweight techno zooms in on the picture of a fragile and pure universe. Its linear yet dynamic narrative pleases the listener with all the tiny glitches and catchy nostalgic melodies. 'Drapacz Chmur' serves as a meditative, hair raising finale to the release. As its title evokes, it takes you a bit higher and meanders there for a bit. An emotional and nearly spiritual sign-off to a very diverse and encapsulating Halabarda EP.
Supported by: Awkwardly Social, Breaka, Cocktail Party Effect, Darwin, dBridge, Ehua, Etch, Henry Greenleaf, Henzo, Gamma Intel, GiGi FM, Gramrcy, Identified Patient, Jay Carder, Kassian, Laksa, Machine Woman, Mad Miran, Orson, Rhyw, Tom Ravenscroft, SPD, Vincent Neumann, WNCL, and many more
Tracklist
| 1. | Helikonia | 4:16 |
| 2. | 2BWC | 2:12 |
| 3. | RUE | 4:24 |
| 4. | GLASS IT OR GRAIN IT | 6:09 |
| 5. | Drapacz Chmur | 3:48 |
Credits
cover art: Sylwia Szydełko
graphic support: Henryk Mamica-Hüsken
mastering: Larry "Bruce" McCarthy @Edgar Studios
w&p: Donija
