Indie Music Album Reviews

dadala - just look in my head

6/7/2013

Dadala

Just Look In My Head
self-released; 2013

3.8 out of 5

By Sean Dennison

Dadala is RDunlap, Loopy C, Frank Dunlap and Johann Meier (John Mayer's avant-garde alter-ego?). These gentlemen live in three different states and never record together in real time. Read that again. All material is contributed from wherever through a variety of mediums. At some point RDunlap mixes them all together. Sounds cool but it doesn't make a difference to the music, which are improvised electronic epics that use minimalistic ideas to their maximum capacity. What I mean by that is, you wouldn't even know it if these guys were conjoined quadruplets when listening to the album.

Anyway, this ain't yo momma's minimalistic electronic improvisation (if anyone has a mom who listens to such music, please let her know I'm single). The soundscapes are vast and lonely, begging for exploration and discovery. There's something going on beneath the surface, the scratching, the shaking grainy sounds, the viola-like drones, and the sounds of insects sharpening their mandibles. This collage of weird feelings is especially apparent on tracks like "Lost Shoe" that make you think you're exploring a post-apocalyptic temple of doom. One of the highlights on the album "Half life" combines melancholy piano melodies with blankets white noise, clicks and clanks. "Laboratory Z" I have to say is one of the most unique songs I have heard in quite some time. If you ever wondered what the 7th level of hell sounds like then this may be a good track to put on. Ominous moans, mosquitoes and dissonance is apparent through most of the track.

Just Look in My Head singles itself from similar recordings by creating more tension than atmosphere. Its tonal qualities are such that the sounds often left me in a tizzy, wondering what would happen next but also sort of dreading it and rarely finding out. The eponymous track, and also the best, features facetious guitar strumming and amateurish sax playing over creaking background noise that variegates the level of confidence displayed by the band members, regardless of their level of musicianship – silly and sadistic. You'll have to steel yourself up for this one. Just Look in My Head, I think, is an impressive statement to art's defiance in the face of geographical separation – aesthetically, not musically. One thing to note that this music is basically free jazz in the digital domain with electronics. Fans of free jazz artists such as The Chicago Art Ensemble and Sun Ra should take the time to check this one out.