Review: Benjamin Dauer - Burning Of Wine

Benjamin Dauer is a musician and composer based in Washington, D.C. He has recently released a collaboration with Scottish musician Dominic Dixon under the pair's Offsets project which is available on Distance Recordings, whilst also working alone on music scores for choreographed modern dance pieces. Burning Of Wine is Dauer's debut solo release.

The album opens with Anacrusis (pushing back), a sleepy ambient number. The slow pace continues as Dauer works meticulously to deliver soothing melodies occasionally interrupted by more jarring harsh notes which catch the listeners attention. There is a notable subtle intelligence to the pieces which are easy to miss on first listen, with melodic undertones hidden beneath the layers of digital drones.

This nuanced songwriting is highlighted again on Sense of Place, which has Dauer employing deep bass tones to create a discreet undercurrent which moves the piece forward and lends an almost tangible weight behind each refrain. It's a technique which has been employed many times before but rarely with such restraint and it shows in the results.

Burning Of Wine is a beautiful and deep work which inspires a near mediative state. Dauer has a knack of lulling the listener into a contented oblivion and there is no doubt much good work in the artist's future.

Mastered by James Plotkin, who has worked on material by artists such as Sunn 0))), Earth, Nadja and Fennesz, Burning Of Wine is available for free download now from Distance Recordings.

Review by Adam Williams for Futuresequence