DDT Freshwater

 

DDT return with their second album release 'Freshwater', and what a corker it is too. DDT (Dieter, Duvall and Taibi) are a merging of members of Carlton Melton and White Manna, two exceptional bands in their own rights, though when combined...well, far out. Also on this release, the added talents of messrs Rich Millman and Nicholas Talvola.

Freshwater differs greatly from it's predecessor 'Enter the Bend', although as you'd imagine is equally engaging listening. The opening track 'divided attention' is a 60's acid soaked beauty, all shamanistic drums, spacey reverb and echo, then it's off at speed courtesy of some lovely tripped out spacerock psyche following the 'ley Lines'. The acid kicks back in as we meet the 'Stick figures', all jazzy tones and rich spacey textures melting into a psychedelic pool of eerie in 'always return', through which the hypnotic shamanistic drums are again 'unearthed'. Smashing! Side one is akin to the Carleton Melton gig experience, an aural journey, it flowed beautifully.  Side two has an all round heavier sound to it, opening to the distorted guitars and pounding rhythm of 'Set Alight', a nice heavy psyche sound, the tone is set. 'Crows Know', is a tasty slice spacerock psyche. Whilst 'Dynamo' is just that, an intense driving track. 'Marking the Clouds', offers a brief psyche jazz distraction before 'The Second Third' drops like heavy gravity, droning guitar and electronic textures conjuring the discordant ominousness of a 70's cult film soundtrack, which ends the album in reverberating distortion.  And....wow! What a fabulous album, man, absolutely marvellous from start to finish, DDT have created a wonderfully rich psychedelic gestalt from myriad psyche family facets. An album with more than a hint of 60's/70's psychedelic attitude, and plenty of heft to boot; all performed by exceptional musicians...what's not to love.  The whole package is a beautiful thing too, you can lose yourself in the stunning artwork on the outer sleeve, and the vinyl, what a cool coloured splatter, quality pressing as well. Part of the vinyl experience has always been the sleeves, a nod needs to go out to artists who keep that experience a rich one, from the photo above you see that the feast DDT serve is not just for the ears. Check it out on Bandcamp or at Drone Records.

DDT 'Enter the Bend'

Cor blimey! This is really good, man. The fruit of a mind meld between members of psychedelic big hitters Carlton Melton and White Manna, 'Enter The Bend' by DDT (Dieter, Duvall and Taibi) is bloody marvellous! Enter the Bend is all rich organic flavours, heavy with psychedelic drones, deeply hypnotic shamanic trancey rhythms, with myriad streams of trippiness intricately woven  throughout, earthy as f*ck too. Enter the Bend picks you up and carries you off, time dissipates as you immerse yourself in the aural world DDT have crafted for our listening pleasure, the musicianship of all involved is, of course, top shelf. And, when the needle finally runs out of groove, you're left wanting more. I played it through four times in a row on receipt, and with each play I was drawn in further. It's a meditation, man. It's a quality pressing too, the vinyl comes in either a groovy splatter of ‘Multiple Greens’ (named after one of the tracks on the album) or classic black, all packaged in a sturdy sleeve and with a colour insert. Enter the Bend is surely one of the best releases of the year, check it out, it doesn't disappoint. This is the good shit, and no mistake!