natural dichotomy is 40 year old composer and producer from Germany who has always had a strong bond to music. Listening to his favorite bands through headphones, his desire to make music was ever-present, however he never followed up on that inclination until a few years ago. In 2018 he discovered the power of virtual instruments, which he used in association with the analog flavors of his Fender Stratocaster. All of which brings us to his EP “longings”, set to officially release on all platforms on the 22nd of May. Here natural dichotomy blends a mix of Indie rock with melodic alt-pop and ambient chill atmospheres, which are largely instrumental.
The album alternates between dazzling, revelatory tunes and slower universally aware ruminations on the artist’s state of being, throughout the pandemic, when he began to experience unfulfilled needs and developed longings. The binding thread of this recording being natural dichotomy’s often potent stream-of-consciousness songwriting, the bright, jangly guitars, and the infectious drum beats.
All of the above is beautifully supported by elaborate string and horn arrangements, as well as vocal interludes. The result is a blend of pop melodicism and lush orchestrations juxtaposed against the energy and exuberance of the brightly resonating guitar lines and strums. The EP sounds thrillingly familiar from the opening track, “Normality”, which sprouts pianos, guitars and saxophones, for an upbeat but intoxicating musical journey.
Things get a little more dramatic on “Love” with its cinematic backdrop and dynamic percussion. The meticulous layering introduces another catchy guitar motif at the forefront of the arrangement.
This formula is taken to an even more epic conclusion on “Wanderlust”, where the guitar is fired up against a powerful soundscape. The longing vocal adlibs and echoing guitar notes create a cosmic odyssey, while the impassioned drumming pumps the blood through your body.
It seems as if each track builds from the previous one, and just gets better. The drum programming is again impacting on “Company”, as is the vocals, which take up a dominant position on the track. Alongside natural dichotomy’s ever-present reverberating guitar, of course. Textured, ornate, and somehow seeping into the deepest parts of you, this track taps into the visceral moments of emotion.
natural dichotomy pushes through the field of instrumental bands that came before him. His sound is crystalline, with shimmering guitars on “Freedom” that get a dirty jangle going from time to time, as well as bombastic drums that sound just as orchestral as they do rock and roll.
It obviously also helps that natural dichotomy studies as an audio engineer. Which means he can take his expansive and exploratory sounds and work them into atmospheric textures that remain luminous and energetic.
The EP “longings” is a much more direct and diverse work, than what any of natural dichotomy’s genre contemporaries may be doing. It boasts sharper, more concise compositions that blossom quicker. Each layer of complexity arriving unforced. natural dichotomy has crafted a record that speaks volumes to an audience, with very few words indeed.
