(Digital, 2024)
No.5252
In the latest offering from the enigmatic D@_N1, “Diary: 04/20/2024,” listeners are thrust into a tumultuous sonic landscape that is as bewildering as it is captivating. This album marks a bold foray into the realms of noise and experimental music, challenging conventional notions of harmony and structure with its unapologetic embrace of chaos.
From the outset, “Diary: 04/20/2024” is an assault on the senses. Noisy, buzzing sweeps and squelching feedback chaos are the order of the day, creating a soundscape that feels simultaneously alien and deeply human. The album’s compositions are dense tapestries woven from the rawest sounds electronic instruments can produce, manipulated into forms that oscillate between abrasive dissonance and hypnotic rhythms.
The opening track sets the tone with its barrage of electronic feedback, establishing a theme of disruption that pervades the entire album. D@_N1 masterfully crafts these auditory disturbances into complex layers, allowing moments of unexpected beauty to emerge from the cacophony. It’s in these moments of clarity amidst the storm that “Diary: 04/20/2024” reveals its depth.
What is perhaps most striking about this release is its ability to evoke a visceral response. The squelches, buzzes, and sweeps are not merely chaotic noise but rather a form of sonic storytelling. Each track feels like a diary entry, a snapshot of a moment in time captured in sound. The listener is invited to interpret these sounds, to find meaning in what might initially seem impenetrable.
“Diary: 04/20/2024” is not an easy listen. It’s an album that challenges, provokes, and ultimately enriches. For fans of experimental and noise music, it is a compelling journey through the possibilities of sound. D@_N1 has created a work that stands as a testament to the transformative power of noise, pushing the boundaries of what music can be and what it can express.
Review by Briyan Frederick, Discover Sounds, 2024
