NYC-based electronic artist Dasychira has released their second LP and first release in 3 years, Undead, on May 10. The album explores themes of transformation and adaptation, giving listeners a glimpse into Dasychira’s personal development.
Dasychira was raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, but has been a New Yorker for the last decade. Studying at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, they took on their pseudonym allowing them to write and produce music while exploring their own identity. Since then, Dasychira has released works of all sizes, including the most recent, Undead.
After releasing their first EP Immolated in 2017, Dasychira went on to co-found the label unseelie in 2018, where they released their last two albums, Hollywood Forever and Undead.
This album represents Dasychira’s navigation through the drastic changes the world has faced over the past few years. These songs articulate their mental journey through COVID-19, war, environmental disasters, and rising technologies. Undead walks you through a dream-like state using a mix of synthesizers and a variety of instruments such as electric guitar, gamelan, and violin, blurring the lines between humans and technology.
The album opens with “Bleed and Glow,” which establishes the feeling of being lost through its lyrics. Using electronics and synths, Dasychira conveys the need for fantasy during such a confusing time. The title track, “Undead,” features ballad-like violin and synth arrangements to express longing and desperation during a personal struggle.
The album’s closer, “Expand Yourself,” signifies the progress of Dasychira’s search for contentedness in the now. By making the electric guitar more prominent than the synth, the music becomes grounded in reality. This completes the album’s goal of accepting personal growth while their surroundings evolve out of their control.
To learn more about the context of Undead and hear the full album, click here
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