Damion Dayski Valerica Steele [upd] -

Rating: 8.7/10 Vibe: Cyberpunk speakeasy / Cinematic downtempo

If Trent Reznor and Portishead built a nightclub inside an abandoned cathedral and hired a torch singer who had just made a deal with a rogue AI, you’d get close to the haunting magic of Echo in the Static , the surprise collaborative EP from producer Damion Dayski and vocalist Valerica Steele. damion dayski valerica steele

“Velvet Wire,” “Glass Fangs,” “Iron Lullaby.” Rating: 8

The EP’s centerpiece is a slow-burn duet (with Steele harmonizing against a pitch-shifted ghost of herself). Dayski’s use of detuned piano and a subtle, almost subliminal breakbeat pushes Steele into uncharted territory. She snarls, coos, and finally breaks into a desperate, looped whisper that dissolves into static. It’s the sound of two artists pushing each other past their comfort zones. She snarls, coos, and finally breaks into a