About this item

Like his mythological namesake, Daedelus - otherwise known as Alfred Darlington - is an inventor, a creator of sonic labyrinths combining sounds from an eclectic palette into an innovative genre all his own. With 'The Light Brigade', Daedelus returns to Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder, a fitting home for the Los Angeles electronic pioneer. The album recalls the Crimean war of 1853-56. The music was written and recorded before the recent troubles broke out in the region, a turn of events which lends an air of requiem to the album.

Opening with 'Until Artillery', an elegiac voice invokes the conflict as glorified in Lord Alfred Tennyson’s infamous poem, backed by electronic swells that build into a poignant climax, contrasting the simple melodies that are the distinction of the album. 'Onward' is a haunting lament; layered, melancholy vocals provided by previous collaborator Young Dad wind their way through treated pianos and deep textures creating a mournful ballad of noise. In 'Shot And Shell', a cavalcade of fingerpicked guitars are embedded in warm synths, and closing track 'Country Of Conquest' is a heartbreaking string composition that recalls Shostakovich.

'The Light Brigade' is a musical interplay of light and dark, soft and heavy, beautiful and frightening. The ghosts of war reverberate into the present in this deeply moving meditation on mortality.