Setting the tone with a panning, cerebral synthscape, Dark Optics opens Numb with intrigue, dimensionality and a metaphorical narration from a futuristic voice. Needless to say, we are mesmerized.
The opus expands with glitched add libs repeating the prose, “At the space of quiet, I lie, and I sleep…”, along with textured drums to create an immersive and dynamic trip-hop meets house-tronica hybrid energy.
Fans of Faithless will definitely be able to connect with Dark Optics, also known as music producer Luke Davies, although there is no doubt that the rising artist from Derby in the United Kingdom is creating a universe of his own. Numb also conveys a cinematic energy which is perfect for blockbuster movie synch deals.
Speaking on the release of Numb, Dark Optics confesses, “The song is about the hypnotic state music can have on a person, finding inner peace, being with nature and losing oneself to the burdens of day to day life.”
Mid way through the track, we experience an evolution of the prose, as the robotic voice encourages us to “let it lie, let it be, still, still…”. We are obsessed with the whirring bassline, which is captivating, taking us on a somewhat high octane journey, whilst maintaining a transcendental state of calm with those fortunate to listen.
Just as we think the track is over, we are met with a final reprise, a new astral synth line which takes over, resulting in a cosmic crescendo to conclude the composition.
When chatting about his influences to create his sound, Luke cites the fusion of electronic music and rock music, as well as art, nature, dance and mental wellbeing. We deeply appreciate the conscious nature of Numb, and have added it to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream Dark Optics‘s wider discography including Aerials, and his album, Dreams Insepia.