Release year: 1995/2024
Label: Steinklang Industries/Aube Et Crépuscule
This is a bit of a tricky release to review. You see, what we have on hand is a re-release of French Dawn & Dusk Entwined’s very first recordings, originally released as two demo tapes. Out of these, only the first was ever properly circulated.
In other words, we’re taking a peek into history long past, into that mythical age of the 90’s when everything was different.
I jest, of course, but there’s still much truth to the above: the 90’s were different. Technology was far more primitive, its capabilities far more limited, and its abilities to mimic real instruments outright pathetic in comparison to today. And, of course, the whole post-industrial scene was different. Things weren’t as clear cut and divided into their own comfortable little nichés and sub-nichés as they are today.
So, here, then, are the very first recordings of the French project with releases on, among others, World Serpent and Cold Meat Industry – two labels for those in the know will instantly speak volumes. From whence did the one man project come, and catch the attention of such luminous labels?
After the introductory rambling above, it will come as no surprise that the material on Myth, Faith, Belief is in many ways quite crude, nascent and even clumsy. Obviously, the sound itself is quite synthetic, digital and even plastic in that 90’s synth kind of way – how else for an unsigned, fledgling act from that time? Musically too, the two demo tapes presented here display a certain lack of finesse. But there are still inklings of a grand vision to be found, as well.
In broad strokes, demo era Dawn & Dusk Entwined could be labelled as neoclassical dark ambient. Yeah, it’s not a 100% accurate description – but then, what is? Even today, within the realm of post-industrial music, such labels are always quite vague and cursory; and back then, when demarcation lines were even more drawn in sand, they meant even less.
This means slow, aching melodies, which a lot of the time lean towards the simplistic; sweeping and swelling synthesized strings; lower, droning strings bringing a sense of the dramatic; piano playing tender, melancholic melodies. Percussion is in a relatively negligible role. Here and there, spoken word passages add a bit of narration to the tracks.
In other words, stylistically, this is quite typical neoclassical (dark) ambient. One could perhaps say that – again, in broad strokes – Dawn & Dusk entwined had a fix on their musical identity almost from the start. I’m not all that well-versed in their discography, but the stuff I’ve heard hasn’t been leagues away from this in style. Rather, they’ve presented a logical arc of maturating vision and expression – as well as a sound evolving away from the nascent crudity here.
The crudity, if you so wish to call it, makes itself heard in pretty simplistic and stripped down arrangements. The digital sound only puts emphasis on this, as the different instruments don’t mesh as well as with more modern, less artificial sounding virtual instruments. And the spoken words on Eternal, for example, aren’t too well done. They sound quite muffled, which makes them ill-fitting to the in itself rather clear and crisp overall sound.
But you have to accept and understand the crudity of both sound and execution. These are early recordings made with 90’s technology. This is vital context for Man, Myth, Belief. Keeping that in mind, there is much here that shows promise. Moments of tender beauty, such as the haunting piano towards the middle of aforementioned Eternal, and passages of ethereal mystery transcend the limitations of technology.
So even if when pitted against standards expected of a modern release Myth, Faith, Belief might come out lacking, in its own context it is a more than passable body of material. It displays the earliest, trepidative steps of a project that would later find confidence annd translate that confidence into some fine music. And as the liner notes point out, this release is definitely geared more towards the “die-hard fans”, not casual listeners or newcomers.
So bear in mind this vital context, and approach Myth, Faith, Belief with the understanding it will have shortcomings, and you will not come away disappointed. As first demos go, the material contained on this release is even laudable.
Only Death Is Real 