Establishing the mood with a brooding drone frequency expanding with a cinematic melody akin to the start of a Hollywood adventure film, Cracks In The Real opens Dagaz with intrigue and drama before a glistening astral synth and textured, echoing kicks draw us further in.
We immediately connect with the meditative dimensionality of the piece, and the cosmic nuance that manifests. There is a universally holistic energy that transmutes as we are taken on a sublime and surrealist journey by the composer.
The intensity of the opus builds with a synth crescendo, subtle but alluring. There is a sense of curiosity that comes to life as a quiet strings arrangement evokes a high emotional quotient. Static interference creates a more cerebral atmospheric quality, whilst panning metallic details create dynamism and dimensionality.
This results in a more psychedelic feel that also builds with a more rhythmic approach as the tempo of the drums picks up. The build in tension is magnificent, almost otherworldly, akin to a DMT experience.
The beat pulls out and a more melodic and meditative vibe comes to life with rippling piano riffs. The juxtaposition between trauma and peace results in sonic ebbs and flows that keep us enthralled. Suddenly a post-rock energy emerges. Cymbals, rock drums and a fuzz guitar are intertwined with the piano notes, showcasing a super genre-expansive approach from Cracks In The Real.
Again we find peace before an almost classical soundscape with mild static and echoing drums is unveiled. We are invited into a frequency of introspection in this moment which leads through to the final moments of the composition with a sudden conclusion, leaving us yearning for more.
We learn that Cracks In The Real hails from New Orleans, and is a solo artist inspired by a blend of late 2000s Warp Records, instrumental Nine Inch Nails, and The Cure. His conceptual sound is set to unfold as Alef: A Velvet Shard of Broken Nights End, dubbed as “a fully realized conceptual album, blurring the boundaries between IDM, experimental music, and raw noise into a single phantasmagoric vision.”
With reference to the record, Cracks In The Real says, “Across its runtime, fractured rhythms, digital decay, and distorted timbres collide with moments of eerie stillness, creating a sense of ritualistic progression rather than a traditional track sequence. The album feels haunted by half-formed melodies and spectral atmospheres, as if each piece were a fleeting apparition emerging from the same fractured dream. Immersive and uncompromising, it positions sound design, abstraction, and emotional unease as its core language, inviting the listener into a shadowed world where structure dissolves into sensation.”
Needless to say, we are already in awe of Cracks In The Real‘s compositional work, and look forward to experiencing Alef: A Velvet Shard of Broken Nights End in full. In the meantime, we have added Dagaz to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Cracks In The Real, including Nox Obscura, and A Couple Of Things.