Opening a record with a twelve and a half minute wildly experimental electronic piece is a bold statement. But that’s precisely the kind of artist Daverage J. Normal is. On ‘At the Precipice’ , the immensely imaginative London based producer has developed an album that’s all about feeling and scale. It’s far from a background piece, instead choosing to embark on an immersive indulgence escapade into a euphoric and anxiety ridden landscape. In itself, the track comprises three distinct parts that are also presented as their own entities on the record. Approach, Engage, and Descent, otherwise collectively conceived as At the Precipice is a journey that is indeed the sum of all its parts.
It kickstarts with an atmosphere that’s dreamy, loaded in a an aesthetic that has you entirely bewitched and entranced while also remaining wholly uneasy and confused. That’s how Approach begins, slightly unnerving and eerie to the listener. You’re constantly craving some sort of catharsis, but it never arrives. On ‘Engage’, it’s a bit more laid back and relaxed but it soon hits an overdrive of absolute cacaphonic mania that has you absolutely confused and reckless in a state of almost perennial anxiety. On ‘Descent’, you’re finally greeted with a more relaxed and lulled reprieve. But it doesn’t last forever, as the energy comes hurling back in full force but in a more concentrated and less manic feeling.
An absolutely mesmerizing electronic record that thrives on its experimentation and innovation. Daverage J. Normal is a spellbinding instrumental artist who works best when he’s at his most creative and unafraid state.