Lake Wapta Rise

Guitar and Drums is a split cassette from long-time collaborators Alex Durlak and Damian Valles. Each has created a series of experimental compositions using solely samples of the instruments they were best known for playing in their previous bands, as the title implies, guitar and drums respectively.

Durlak’s side contains three variations for “Strings”. Here he takes guitar and bass recordings and renders them into abstract tonal passages. Strings I opens up the side with phasing  textures; notes slide and scrape, ebb and flow. By contrast, Strings II might be Durlak’s most melodic piece yet, a slow-paced suite with almost synth-like harmonics and organ drones which are hard to imagine as originating from electric guitars. However, any doubts that may have crept in to the listener are quashed by the last variation on the side. More scraping sounds and electrical buzzing crawl from the abyss only to decay back in on themselves. Complete with evolving arpeggiated patterns and epic sound arcs, the closer brings the trio full circle.

Valles’ side is comprised of two tracks using drum beds taken from recordings of bands he used to play in. A Drums starts with a rhythm that sounds as if it originates from heavy machinery. A dark hum creeps beneath, as if the mechanism is just starting to warm up. Halfway through, the piece starts to crumble and all tone disappears leaving only thunderous bangs and clangs, slowly churning to a stop. The second pieces begins with an extended, hazy drone that lumbers along until a heavy drum loop emerges then fades and disappears again. This is possibly Valles’ darkest material to date. 

The Artists

Alex Durlak is an artist and musician living in Toronto, ON. He has released solo works on Audio Gourmet, Standard Form, Fluid Audio and Hibernate. His most recent work, Seconds, was also released on Komino Records in 2012.

Damian Valles lives in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario. His work has been released by labels such as Experimedia, Under The Spire, Drifting Falling and Textura. He was also the curator of the Rural Routes series for Standard Form.


Strings II (Alex Durlak)

Strings III (Alex Durlak)

A Drums (Damian Valles)

B Drums (Damian Valles)

From the upcoming LP on Komino Records. More info coming soon!

Komino Records

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