David Redmond Returns to Solo Project with Re-Release of Intellectual, Experimental OP

OP is a three-track experimental project and the latest release from composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist David Redmond. Actually, OP is a re-release of an older project of Redmond’s, five years after its debut.

Redmond’s musical expression on OP is intricate and nuanced. His music echoes experimental avant-garde, recalls sonorous film scores, and exudes musical sophistication. The EP is steeped in historical science, demonstrating Redmond’s curiosity and intelligence beyond music. Dedication, perseverance, and fascination are evoked in the grinding rhythms and ethereal piano melodies of OP, emotions fitting of the great inventors and thinkers from which the project takes its inspiration.

‘Copernicus,’ named after the revered astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model of the universe, opens with a graceful lead from a piano. It soon breaks down into a glitched circle of celestial voices and sounds ominously swirling around the listener. ‘HAL’ appeals to more primal senses, its rhythm-based melodies evoking the ‘organised sound’ of Vàrese. There is little sense of traditional structure in ‘HAL,’ but the piece shifts between disparate emotional states with ease. It simulates the feeling of stepping out of a crowded place onto a calm beach, and then shunts you into the far future where you are hounded by complex technology you cannot comprehend, bleeping and buzzing alarmingly. The illustrative nature of ‘HAL’ and its industrial, rhythmic underbelly are evocative of Hans Zimmer’s acclaimed soundtracks. Between Vàrese and Zimmer, it is clear that the OP project celebrates pioneers from all fields, music included.

The true brilliance of OP, however, lies in the final track, ‘Ibn Firnas.’ Named after the first man to fly, the song is a sound bath of sonic textures. From silky, synth flutes to rough vocal techniques akin to heavy metal, the profusion of Redmond’s influences are laid bare on ‘Ibn Firnas.’ A consistent, rhythmic heart pounds, demonstrating the magnitude of perseverance endured by great inventors and scientists throughout history. This beating pulse gives way to airy melodies and sublime vocals; an impeccable depiction of a “eureka!” moment. The rest of the track is underpinned by the same gritty determination as the opening, amplified by low, growling vocals. Additionally, the song alludes to the Greek myth of Icarus, the sole lyrics chanting “feathers falling down.” Perhaps self-doubt is oft to follow a eureka moment, and if so this is framed eloquently in ‘Ibn Firnas.’

OP will be re-released on Monday 17th August, and will be available to stream on Spotify. It marks Redmond’s return to solo composition and production, after several years spent focusing on collaborative projects such as alternative rock band LNT. You can keep up to date with David Redmond’s future releases on Facebook and Instagram.

D. Cullen Releases Upbeat, Summery Single, ‘Rainbow Weather’

This weekend, it will not be possible to march through crowded Dublin streets in support of LGBTQ+ rights as we have done every year since 1994. Instead, Pride celebrations have been moved to a virtual space as have many events. Dublin native and well-established songwriter, D. Cullen, is closing out Pride month by releasing his new, summery track ‘Rainbow Weather.’

The song is strikingly reminiscent of classic Beatles tunes. A tapestry of densely woven harmonies blankets the arrangement, a steady, persistent drumbeat pulses, and guitar stabs underline the track. As the arrangement builds, smooth string pads provide contrast. The song is simple and light-hearted, offering a welcome moment of respite from the darkness the world has been enduring for the past few months. ‘Rainbow Weather’ was co-written by Cullen and Boo Hewerdine (The Bible); the two are recurrent writing partners, having met when Cullen attended a songwriting camp which Hewerdine organised.

Alike the Beatles in more ways than one, D. Cullen is also a master of songwriting as an art. A musical chameleon, he writes effortlessly in a multitude of genres. His last major single, ‘Alright,’ is a gospel anthem and, contrastingly, ‘The Rising Tide’ is a moody, symphonic song with whispers of post-punk or alternative rock. Fortunately, D’s voice is clear and even, and fits comfortably over the medley of genres he dips in and out of.

D. Cullen will be performing a live show on his Instagram on Tuesday 30th June at 8pm. ‘Rainbow Weather’ has been released today and you can check out the charming video, drawn by D. Cullen and Sinead McConville, below.

Myth’s Vigorous New Single ‘1:45’ to be Released This Friday

‘1:45’ creates an immersive atmosphere, exposing the listener to what can only be ethereal anomaly or delusion. The new single from alternative rock four-piece, Myth, is due for release this Friday. It is a brooding, tense sonic experience. The song takes the listener on a journey rife with paranoia and severe unease. It opens with mention of unrelenting whispers clutching at the narrator’s mind which alone is ghoulish enough, but the song’s true haunting quality is its dissolution of the threshold between past and present. The song borrows from Gothic tropes to reveal that the whispers originated from “Medieval thoughts and ancient minds,” making it unclear where the past ends and the present day begins. A song with such a mystical, otherworldly subject matter is fitting from a band whose name holds connotations of age-old folklore and supernatural mysteries.

The blurring of categories which underpins the lyrics is skilfully accentuated in the instrumentation, where a fog of hazy guitar and ferocious, distorted bass punctuate the track. They linger in the periphery of the song during the verses, foreboding and chilling, and spill into the centre for a heightened, impactful chorus. The track’s production is heavy, murky, with a rumbling low end persistent enough to produce discomposure even in rational-minded, skeptical individuals.

The song is one of crossovers, of boundary dissolution, and fittingly it transcends the confines of singular genre too. Myth borrow from heavy styles such as metal and psychedelic rock in creating their forceful, trudging rhythm section, but their music also exhibits elements of uplifting pop through the delicate guitar melodies in the verses. Alex’s vocals are commanding and assured despite the cautious superstition of the narrative.

‘1:45’ will be released this Friday, 19th June, and can be pre-saved here.