SuppliedGliss Riffer
Dan Deacon
Domino Records
dandeacon.com
Dan Deacon’s Gliss Riffer is a fantastically spastic record. With sparing use of poetic lyrics and an eclectic variety of electronica, Deacon manages to craft synthesized sounds into a magical, frenzied world for the listener.
The Baltimore native mixes electronic sounds with pop influences in a convincing mash, playing like a hyperactive story that starts off with the gentle yet exuberant synthesis in “Feel The Lightning” and moves to a darker, more industrial sound that mimics an action-packed film score, to finally finish off the album in “Steely Blues.” It’s a patchwork of synthesizers and robotic tones, and often sounds like a haphazard of sounds, with limited variation in song structure.
He retains a snowballing momentum, polishing each song with loud and soft dynamic patterns until they inevitably reach a climax. Deacon tends to use a so-called brick-layering approach, applying alternating layers of harsh tones atop softer ones to create towers of tuned but purposefully assembled noise. This back and forth routine is a common trend in each of Deacon’s electronic acoustic melodies. The spectrum is broad, however, with perceptible vibes from outer space to action movies evident throughout every song.
Lyrics are not a dominant element of the album, only making a significant appearance in a few songs, with “When I Was Done Dying” being a prime example. The nonsensical yet emotional narrative is further paired with mystical, jungle-influenced chants and drums as well as high-pitched squeaks, all meshed together by a synthesized wash. Similarly, “Mind of Fire” contains almost identical structure, with looping modulated voices as well as flourishing pop-like effects, evidently mixed with an assemblage of synthesized sounds.
Although the structure seems tiresome and the repetitive tones often annoying, each sound fragment is authentic. Gliss Riffer is avant-garde and effortlessly composed, proving that although the sounds seemingly clash, they also effortlessly blend dissonant and wacky elements to produce a coherent, worthwhile mosaic of music.
