Daedelus’ Righteous Fists of Harmony is a sonic historical reflection about the Boxer Rebellion in 1898. The EP plays more like an electronic musical and is less catchy than many of Daedelus’ previous efforts. Be that as it may, Daedelus (Alfred Weisberg-Roberts) presents history with warm oscillating synths, unique rhythmic patterns and soft vocals provided by various guests. The result is 27 minutes of art and abstract listening inspired by the Righteous Fists of Harmony, an anti-colonial rebellion that fought against well armed British occupation. The story is epic and the album reciprocates this with gorgeous moods skillfully marched together to produce a valiant soundtrack to an uprising. “An Armada Approaches” begins the art-infused tribute with a very dark ’70s synth-pop feel, reminiscent of something you might hear on Apocalypse Now. The track gives way to a bit of musical chaos with meandering oboes and a drum sequence full of echo and reverb. By the middle of the EP, “Order of the Golden Dawn” demonstrates the beauty and power of voice as it recaptures the tale with a haunting and memorable melody accompanied by Daedelus’ concoction of beats and patterns. “Stampede Me” is pure artistic brilliance with a falsetto voice sung in tandem with low and deep vocal musings. “Fin De Siecle” finishes the album with sounds straight out of a Hollywood film from the ’30s complete with an orchestra of strings and that classic black and white film feel. While the storyline describes an uprising, the sounds are smooth and controlled, yet emanate a colourful set of emotions on each individual track. An excellent theme album, Righteous Fists of Fury details interesting artwork on the sleeve and an artistic soundscape to remember history by.
Daedelus
Righteous Fists of Fury
BrainFeeder
- author
- Slavko Bucifal