Dark Electronic Music Duo Deep Down Wise Releases Their Debut Album
On their self-titled debut record, the band combines surrealist imagery, meticulous production and classic 80s synth sounds.
Clocking in at 42 minutes and with 11 tracks, the eponymous debut by Deep Down Wise is a sophisticated tribute to both the lighter and darker sounds of the 80s. On their first studio album, the Miami, Florida-based duo consisting of Alvys H. and Alisa E., combine surrealist imagery, meticulous production and classic synth sounds, that form a deliciously unpredictable and immersive piece of music.
Despite being heavily inspired by the 80s, new devotees who seek to resurrect the era’s sound have developed their very own conventions. Alvys and Alysa are no strangers to this and though they have been compared to the likes of Depeche Mode, some of their innovations are more left-field. A favourite trick of theirs is the layering of disparate synth sounds over each other, creating surprises that add spice just when you have been lulled in by hazy walls of sound. As a result, the band’s newly released debut is a real cornucopia of techno, synthwave, darkwave, and post-punk influences.
The first three tracks, “Ambers”, “After Light”, and “Howling”, are unapologetically heavy. The idea it immediately conveys is a driving, intense recording that pulls no punches. Latter tracks like “Feeling Inside” offer striking sound experiments, including tremolo-like synths and danceable basslines. Whilst some of the earlier tracks could probably fit a new sci-fi thriller, this is a band whose work also wouldn’t be out of place at a club night.
In the final quarter of the album, the cinematic “Fallen Blossoms” goes with many of the landscape-like themes in their videos. Alongside this, the singable, almost stadium-ready “Ignite” proves that Deep Down Wise are exceptionally skilled when it comes to writing melodies, on top of their distinctive production.
For any band based off previous eras, there is a sense of ennui and yearning. In a post-genre world, the hunt for meaningful emotion and connection through music grows ever harder. Nevertheless, Deep Down Wise embrace these paradoxes by making music that is dark yet cathartic both on its own merit and in the way it resurrects the ghosts of musical history. In keeping with their openness to disparate imagery and the dark yet artsy aesthetic of some of their videos, they embody their highly quotable mission statement – “embracing insanity as part of life itself”.
All in all, Deep Down Wise’s debut can be seen as a very mature and differentiated record. This is a band that already has a distinct sound even within their chosen subgenres. They also know how to vary it, to create a balance of tension and release while still maintaining a coherent musical identity. Lyrically, they balance themes ranging from the unsteadiness of intense love in “Feelings Inside” to darker and less easy to interpret lyrical imagery in tracks like “Howling”.
The musical subcultures they draw from are striking in their own right, but what makes them special is how they don’t lean on the conventions of the scenes which fuel them. Instead, a cohesive and bold sound creates a synergistic artistic identity, and coupled with the freedom this gives them, Deep Down Wise create a collection of post-apocalyptic, mesmerising musical vignettes.
Deep Down Wise (US)
Featured Image by Deep Down Wise
