the second full length album by the remarkable dutch project is a striking feat: the followup album to 'puur' displays once again distel's outstanding skills, fusing sound treatments, songwriting and emotional intensity with the ability to generate a coherent, monolithic opus reaped from a wide range of sources. 'zand' is a collection of songs expressing autumnal, funereal moods through subdued atmospheres carried by subliminal beats, phantasmal electronics, processed guitars and gloomy, sometimes mildly distorted vocals. particular levels of discomfort are never exceeded, never the less they are audible and linked with layers of tension and intensity. four exclusively recorded tracks, a cover version of a song by the legendary n.y. based project suicide and six remixes made for keluar, acclimate v.1, ghost actor, black egg, veil of light and michael idehall add up to a harmonious and perfectly coordinated set executed in distel's very own style oscillating between ritualistic soundscapes, vintage industrial music and cold-/darkwave. an album that leaves space for adventure, fun and some strange moments.
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