Đăng Khoa - An Atom’s Den
Đăng Khoa is an experimental music collective from Vietnam. Their latest EP, An Atom’s Den, while short, is highly fascinating.
The opener, Amplification, is brief, but mesmerising. Tinnitus is less refined than An Atom’s Den’s counterparts, though its wall of noise is quite sublime. Like similar great noise-rock, the song remains humble and dreamy, despite being incredibly abrasive and haunting. While the reverse-engineered sounds are nothing new, they sound fresh encapsulated within the ecstatic wall of noise. Both tracks are fascinating, and are arguably better than the closer, Congenital. The track outstays its welcome. Despite featuring the same elements that made the opening tracks stand out, its progression feels directionless, almost in line with Merzbow’s nonsensical static suites. It almost seems like it was dragged out only to fit in its vocal samples, which add nothing to the track.
Despite a lesser second half, An Atom’s Den is still quite an admirable experience. One can only hope the band keep experimenting with these sounds in future. While the improvisational techniques are relevant and are captured well, Đăng Khoa must be careful in future to only select their best works.
Good
Listen to it here:
Đăng Khoa - An Atom’s Den
