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Daal - Dodecahedron CD (album) cover

DODECAHEDRON

Daal

 

Eclectic Prog

4.03 | 299 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator
PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic
5 stars On their fourth full release the duo known as DAAL (DA-vide Guidoni and AL-fio Costa) deliver an impressive eclectic electronic smorgasbord of sonic weirdness once again only this time instead of different track names, they take the title of the album DODECAHEDRON and simply make XII different tracks, each taking you on a different trip through the psyche and subliminal universe of mellotron dream worlds enriched with every sonic possibility you can think of and then some. The Pink Floyd influences are omnipresent as usual but DAAL have a masterful way of making these sound unique and different enough never to stray even close to classic album plagiarism. Once again there is an entire ensemble of guest musicians on board incorporating all the usual suspects of rock instruments (guitar, bass, drums) as well as the exotic ones such as the Greek bouzouki, bardic harp and two that i have never heard of called itchemba and kehru, which are dried pumpkins that are made into stringed instruments.

The music flows brilliantly from one DODECAHEDRON movement to the other with some tracks rocking out with Floydian guitar solos while others delivering silky and smooth lush string sections accompanied by brilliant piano riffs. The melodic flow often has slight dissonant counterpoints to add a nice salty taste to the sweetness. I would say this album is more melodic and contains less frantic time sig changes than other releases. There is much more emphasis on atmosphere and a nice leisurely ride down a river of electronic sounds and atmospheric changes much like clouds drifting in the sky changing subtly into something entirely different. With this music the cello led string sections can morph into a tribal drumming with jazzy sax combo with nice atmospheric synths and then off to something else entirely. This is also an entirely instrumental affair which allows the band to flutter off like a butterfly anyway the wind blows. The only thing that comes to mind for comparison is a progressive rock equivalent of Shpongle.

I have listened to this album in many ways and on different stereo systems just to compare. I have listened completely focused on every detail and i have listened while preoccupied with something else banishing it to background music and i have come to the same conclusion either way. This album somehow manages to sound great as active and passive music on higher quality sound systems and even on my crappy car system. There is a fundamental basis in melodic development that keeps it interesting and lots of bells and whistles to add lots of extra yumminess to the whole thing. Once again DAAL deliver the eclectic progressive rock and electronic goods keeping me thoroughly entertained. This is one of those albums that is nebulous enough to sound different depending on mood and setting. This is definitely one for the musical wanderer. One for the restless listener who likes a lot of unpredictability in their world. One full of excogitative fecundity keeping the listener wondering just which sonic bloom will sustain into maturity or simply fizzle out into the great void. Welcome to tripper's paradise!

siLLy puPPy | 5/5 |

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