When EDM Grows Up: DARKNAUT’s Afterdark Machine

Details: By Loron Hays; 28 June 2018

Darknaut Afterdark Machine - Music Review

It was due to the constant sense of moving. That’s why Scott Anchors became an astronaut. He dreamed of bursting through the force that held him in place for so long. He never thought it would end up like this. Captured. Probed. Studied.

But the joke was on his captors. He had managed to escape their cell and was back on board his own ship. He was also very pissed.

And in the dark he waited. These snake-like sons of bitches didn’t know what he had stored on board his space shuttle. He was told not to bring it. He was told it wasn’t necessary. He stowed the pick head axe anyway.

He could hear them slithering toward him. There was one more door to get through.

Screw their lasers. He was all about going old school on his captor’s asses and chop their heads off. He grew up in West Texas after all. Copperheads. Lots and lots of Copperhead snakes. And you never left home without protection. Those rat bastards were hiding everywhere.

And Scott Anchors was always prepared. He just never expected to come face to face with a triangular headed viper in the far reaches of space.

“Let the mutant dance began,” he muttered, tightening his grip on the handle as the door broke open. Scott Anchors saw his beady eyed enemy and started swinging away.

Darknaut

I’m a writer. I like creative things and, after listening repeatedly to DARKNAUT’s Afterdark Machine, a situation like the imagined one above is EXACTLY what springs to mind listening to this highly energized pursuit of silent emotions. This EP might be all too brief AND addicting (as in put these songs straight into my veins right now!!!), but its galactic vibe – where energetic synthwave meets cinematic orchestrations and beyond – rings true.

"These songs go down like cold beer on a hot day. Smooth. And you truly do want more."

Afterdark Machine is comprised of only four brief tracks. Its BIG-TIME sound makes up for that intense brevity. Typically, this would be disappointing, especially in light of what other producers are putting out. It is; however, exactly the opposite with this release. These songs go down like cold beer on a hot day. Smooth. And you truly do want more.

All it takes to get your ass moving and grooving to the danger DARKNAUT dishes out is 30 freaking seconds. Seriously. Everything begins calmly enough with “Riding the Blizzard” and then those Doctor Who-like spacey electronic tones absolutely crush ears with a cosmic rhythm that is both on point and COMPLETELY in your face. Suddenly, the song explodes into a celestial EDM rave complete with comets shooting by, laser blasts, and my imagined hero cutting off the heads of aliens. Can we get a strobe in here, too?

There’s no safe ending to this party, though. DARKNAUT is only getting warmed up.

Without a delay, “Soulsearch Commando” jumps into the galactic battle and, as electronic notes go whizzing by, the song provides us with a thematic melody that drives more than just the beat. WE. HAVE. ANTHEM. My ears might be ringing but my heart and mind are both happy. This is an exciting song. Spellbinding, in fact, and as the song begins to shift gears, one gets the sense that our lone astronaut might not be all that SOLO in his fight against the slithery beings.{googleads}

And then it’s time for the orchestra! Back me up, fellas! For fifteen seconds, an orchestra leads the way as “Halfway to the Crossroads” begins. It is exciting, right up there with a Hollywood action blockbuster composed by Jerry Goldsmith, and then the song explodes! BOOM! Stardust is kicked up with a pulsating melody that melts the brains of all alien invaders. And those percussion effects are so nasty, sliding just a bit to give off a “wax on, wax off” feel to the interstellar track. Check it out!

Stunning, right? Just wait. There is one more delicious track to come.

The best and moodiest slice of this EDM meets synthwave journey through the milky way is up next and “Aurora” is your best ticket off this planet of Trump trash. For those of you ready to RAVE UN2 THE JOY FANTASTIC, this is the Prince-like track your disco balls have been waiting for. Hell, this song sounds so keyed-in to extraterrestrial vibrations that you can practically taste the metal-like substance of the mothership. Is that Heaven Scent, Digweed?! Well, turn it up! Make no mistake, “Aurora” means all kinds of funky business with those syncopated keys. And then, with the same ferociousness that it began with, it builds and builds and then suddenly ends, spiraling its message out into the cosmos endlessly.

Darknaut