REINCARNATION
Reincarnation is the flow of life from one vessel to the next. If you’re looking for an injection, you’re looking in the right place. The latest record from Portland-based electro-acoustic duo Deep Dark Blue is giving me life. This is the kind of music that drags you, kicking and screaming, out of that perpetual funk the world has thrust upon us all in these, the end of days. This release includes a brand new single from the pair, plus remixes by OTODOJO and Ricky Tinez.
Magically, these three tracks manage to cover an incredible amount of sonic territory—starting with the original, you’ll feel like you’re on a trek across the open Earth, receiving messages from ancient cultures intended to unlock the true meaning of reality from the distant past. Descriptors fail me as I sit here listening to these three works of emotional mastery. You might expect this, or that, a techno version, an ambient version, whatever—what you’ll get is a direct connection to the souls of the artists. From the beginning you’re sucked into the feeling of ultimate connection as the vocal sample repeats and the pace picks up. It sets in that you’re on a journey, but let me tell you, you have no idea where you’re headed. This trip is full of surprises that are somehow simultaneously awakening and supremely comforting. Imagine you were given the secrets of the universe and instead of struggling to comprehend them, you understood immediately because you were home all along.
By the time you get to the OTODOJO remix, you’re wide awake and feeling prepared–for what though, you have no idea. This version is a bit darker than the rest, in the best way imaginable. It instills in you a sense that you’re fighting the good fight and that you’re exactly where you need to be. It’s the feeling of strolling across the plains at the head of your pack, carrying the source of all truth—so prepared for battle that you have room for the love of your enemy in your heart, knowing they’ll be striding alongside you at the end of the day. This version kicks you off with swirling samples and delays that somehow land into a stomping half-time beat our ancient ancestors would recognize. As you start to acknowledge that you’ve been bobbing your head for an unknown amount of time, drips of the future pour into your brain via glitchy little fairies whispering in your ear. As you near the end of the track, the sky opens up and the technicolor sunshine spreads over the landscape before you, opening your heart to a warmth that carries you into the final form of this transformative release.
The Ricky Times remix opens with dense chords singing over the marching kick drum sounds of a poolside DJ set at the edge of time. You can almost feel the setting of a dying sun as it transforms day into perfect night through a neon spectrum. At this point, you’ll be hands-in-the-air smiling at everything and nothing around you. Bouncing baby bass sounds pump between the bumping drums, lifting spirits and faces to the heavens of a universe in an alternate reality. A reality where none of your problems exist, there is no fear, and you know we are one with the entirety of reality. Let it bring you home. I loved this release. It truly made me feel things I have not felt in a long time. This is proof that music is magic and that love can alter reality. Pick it up via Acid Camp and get a couple shirts while you’re at it. These are the kinds of artists that are worth your support.