Elysium

Starlit Pathways

Anémone - Flip Flop

Sneak-up

September 23rd

September 23rd (Excerpt 2)

Purchase: bit.ly/daniailyas
Catalog #: GN77
October 22, 2024
LP+DIGI

DANIAILYAS is the collaborative, cross-continental project from Barcelona-based composer Dania Shihab (Paralaxe Editions), and Portland-based avant-gardist, Ilyas Ahmed (Grails member and collaborator with Liz Harris, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, and Golden Retriever). Having both previously issued solo works through Geographic North, a remote one-off collaboration soon manifested into an on-going aural dialogue, yielding the duo’s debut ‘Enough for Me to Remain.’ The album stands as a hallucinatory masterclass, charting into the theater of the uncanny—Dania's transcendent vocal melodies and cathartic synths exquisitely woven between Ilyas' mercurial guitar in some vaporous dance of beauty. A love letter scribed in blood. A bloodletting drenched in hope.


Opener “The World Spins” immediately establishes Dania and Ahmed pairing as a truly exalted engagement—a nascent collaboration with boundless potential and cosmic chemistry. It’s the best of both worlds, with Ahmed’s spidery, open-ended acoustic gestures providing the perfect backdrop to Dania’s double-tracked and echoed lyrics spoken into the darkness. The morbid mise en scène of “Be Where” creaks with diegetic gloom and deeply sullen composure, straddling the physical, astral, and ethereal plane at once. 

Commencing in a blur of solemn acoustic genuflection, “Walking Through Another Door” ambles along with wordless, funereal focus. Vocally, Dania meticulously layers various vocal parts into a unified, mellifluous missive delivered with disembodied elegance and weightlessness. It’s equal parts angelic and grievous, striking a chord of heart and mind. “Breathe and Start Again” continues the emotion into more kaleidoscopic patterns, with a heaving manipulated clarinet motif turning over and over again through its habitual dance and Dania’s spectral coos floating by like storm clouds at dusk.

“The Pilgrim” ushers in an unassuming epic of dust-swept vistas haunted with spirits of yore. Beyond capturing a “cinematic” feeling, the song is essentially “pure cinema,” conjuring aural images that are both historic and timeless. In the song’s final moments, Dania’s refrain “Feeling dark again” enters the weighted darkness, bringing a flash of light and hope amidst the oblique obscurity. Closer “Coming Home” offers the most vulnerable and delicate moments on ‘Enough for Me to Remain,’ creating ample safe space to console and comfort in these weary times.

DANIAILYAS - "Be Where"

Clouds

!Paul (pronounced ipaul) Unveils ‘Unfold’: A Masterpiece of Musical Evolution and Profound Introspection.

Prepare for an unparalleled sonic journey as !Paul, the exceptionally talented producer and composer presents his highly anticipated second album: Unfold. Following the success of his acclaimed debut album "Home," which captivated critics and listeners alike with its delicate balance between dance and classical genres, !Paul now shatters boundaries and reveals a sound that is both innovative and deeply personal.

"Home" was an intimate, piano-centric album that gently guided you to a place of comfort. "Unfold," however, is a bold step forward, an album that invites the listener on a journey of inner discovery and boundless experimentation. This album is a testament to !Paul's fearlessness in evolving, venturing into uncharted musical territories, and expanding his already rich palette of modern classical, new age, neo-classical, lo-fi, and dream pop.

With nine compelling singles as a prelude, !Paul has already offered the world a taste of the depth and breadth of "Unfold." From the daring, oriental sounds of 'Personal Thoughts,' where acoustic guitar takes the lead instead of his signature piano, to the cinematic, dreamy piano melodies of 'Excited' and 'The Search,' which transport you to a world of beauty and freedom.

But "Unfold" is more than just a collection of beautiful melodies; it is an album that speaks to the soul, where !Paul effortlessly connects music and title. Such as in 'New Day,' where downtempo, chillout, and indie dance influences herald a fresh start, or in 'She Whispers,' where an enchanting piano and a gentle voice guide you through life's chaos.

The album delves deeper into the human experience with introspective pieces like 'As It Is,' capturing a moment of focused serenity, and 'Self-reflection,' a pure example of musical art that transforms depth, silence, and thoughtfulness into sound. And then there's 'Nowhere Fast,' a track that invites you to wander, daydream, and find peace in the 'in-between.' Even the ode to friendship, 'Friends 4 Life,' is infused with !Paul's characteristic dreamy piano lines.

The musical journey culminates in the previously unreleased 'Echoes.' This closing track opens with the typical !Paul piano sound, underpinned by a deeper synth layer that keeps you engaged without drowning out his exquisite piano playing. Is it his own echo he hears, are they the footsteps of his own past resonating? It's an open ending that simultaneously offers peace, a perfect representation of the momentum in !Paul's existence.

"Unfold" is not just an album; it is an invitation to grow, reflect, and embrace. It is the sound of an artist fully at home in his craft, a gift that Toan Madritsch, the creative force behind !Paul, shares with unprecedented grace and profound depth. Allow yourself to be carried away by the layering, the emotion, and the unparalleled musicality of !Paul’s 'Unfold'.

!Paul - The Search

Lonely in Gorgeous

Tim Hecker 01 Norberg

slipsilver

justin

From the album 'Liminal Space' out on Rednetic

Aesthetic Preservation

https://youtu.be/cbCGKy2KuUg
danielesciollamusic@gmail.com

Clouds

danielesciolla

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