Betonkust - DD06

Single

7 Aug

Betonkust keeps himself busy messing around with old Casio keyboards while listening to old, obscure synthpop. Although I've never met Swiere Westveen, that's what I imagine due to the often retro-sounding Electro dreamscapes he produces. Having featured on some of the most distinguished labels out of the Netherlands, including Dekmantle, you expect Westveen's sound to be more homogeneous with festival house or techno, but Westveen's Betonkust alias is so far from the norm that it moves past left field, sitting in this gorgeously refreshing space. Betonkust's latest release comes to us courtesy of Dalmata Daniel and is titled DD06.

Both tracks off DD06 embody both style and substance. The first track, 'Bill And His Cat', takes us on a synth-wave journey filled with odd mediaeval melody. At a glance, it seems like a case of mistaken identity; the track appears confused as it struggles to connect emotionally and on the dance floor, partly due to its off-the-wall sound design, which sounds like a quirky collaboration between Mary Shelley and Casio. Only after a few listens do you start breaking down the layers of harmony Betonkust constructs. Between dazzlingly bright synths, surprisingly coarse 303 lines and the killer drum groove that will keep you guessing throughout, it's a fresh retro electro pulled from the most absurd sounds.

'Second Return', however, continues this expiration of artistic sound, finding itself more in the realms of lo-fi. This time, there's more emotion through considered note selection and sound design, feeling both delicate and dark. To me, it's reminiscent of having that uncomfortable conversation with a child who's just lost a grandparent. There needs to be subtlety to the words used, but that doesn't make them any less brutal. Combine that with the warble in the track that mimics the warble in your voice. The track sounds like a lullaby like it has the cadence of a Doctor Seuss book trying to explain something so sad and do something so innocent. DD06 is a fabulous new addition to the discography of both artist and label, allowing each artist to explore untrodden ground up to this point.

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