Siren - Paradise

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  • As one half of Metro Area, Darshan Jesrani is associated with a minimalist kind of disco, but the duo also has an interest in song-oriented music. Morgan Geist had Storm Queen, his retro house project with Damon C. Scott that landed a #1 hit in the UK. In 2014, Jesrani hooked up with Dennis Kane for Siren, a band inspired by the Downtown New York scene's halcyon years. Their first two singles were winding journeys through wiry punk-funk, disco and Balearic sounds, lush with live instrumentation and strong vocal performances. On Paradise, Siren's third 12-inch for German label Compost Records, they take a step back and focus on the essentials. "Paradise" has a darker tint than its predecessors. If Siren's previous tracks were for soundtracking busy discotheques, then this one is for stalking through backstreets and alleyways. The drums ring out in dark corners, the synth lead sounds uneasy, the vocals wistful. The instrumentation is simple: hints of cowbell, buoyant disco guitars, synth trumpets and keyboards all fade in and out without cluttering the mix. But "Paradise" is really about the bassline. Played by veteran session musician Mark Dann, it walks, jogs and sprints in all directions thanks to his nimble fingers. "Paradise" sounds like the seedy underbelly of the New York scene it's based on, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun. Gavin Russom gives "Paradise" a live-feeling remix. It's one of his gnarlier works, layering discordant sounds and even building up feedback as it sputters along for ten minutes. Paradise is something different for Siren but they pull it off.
  • Tracklist
      A Paradise B Paradise (Gavin Russom Dub)
RA