Though Barcelona's Downliners Sekt have been in operation for more than a decade, Silent Ascent (their first long player to get full a physical release) is by far their most important piece to date.
Over a recent string of well-received EPs and singles, the duo has slowly peeled away their post-rock origins, instead grafting shimmering electronic textures onto rapidly limping dubstep grooves. A certain industrial claustrophobia has always been present in Downliners Sekt's work, but it's harder to find here.
That is not to say Silent Ascent is a cheery number; rather, its darker recesses are defined by an unshakable tenderness rather than plain old dread. Here, snippets of vocal ephemera intertwine with bold tempo changes and shuddering sub-bass. Silent Ascent purposefully blends almost danceable stretches and their crescendos with perfectly intimate interludes. Though few specific moments in the album are memorable in isolation, the net result is at once honest and subtle.
(Infine)Over a recent string of well-received EPs and singles, the duo has slowly peeled away their post-rock origins, instead grafting shimmering electronic textures onto rapidly limping dubstep grooves. A certain industrial claustrophobia has always been present in Downliners Sekt's work, but it's harder to find here.
That is not to say Silent Ascent is a cheery number; rather, its darker recesses are defined by an unshakable tenderness rather than plain old dread. Here, snippets of vocal ephemera intertwine with bold tempo changes and shuddering sub-bass. Silent Ascent purposefully blends almost danceable stretches and their crescendos with perfectly intimate interludes. Though few specific moments in the album are memorable in isolation, the net result is at once honest and subtle.
