“Dissolution,” the latest release from London based Mikhail Daken, sits at a point where many musical pathways intersect. Stand at that crossroads, and you can stare along any number of sonic pathways – routes forged of delicious neo-gothic shade and darkwave-infused post-rock, chilled, ambient dance music and dream pop poise, analog energy, and digital deftness, poetic lyricism, and poignant and purposeful soundscaping, to name but a few.
This is music made less out of the traditional idea of melody and more out of the mood, as if it is the shaping of emotions rather than the playing of instruments, which is at the heart of this emotive sound.
And, coming as a welcome change with such music, the lyrics really stand out. Rather than the usual gothic fairy tales or cinematic sparseness, here Mikhail Daken’s poeticism more than matches the mercurial and magical music he makes. If “Between the vapor trails, I’ll search for you” isn’t the most hauntingly romantic line you have heard for a long time, if “These petty needs, constricting like tourniquets” doesn’t speak to the very heart of the human condition, if “We return to give chase, drawn to old tastes” doesn’t resonate with you, the listener, I would suggest that you see a doctor, as there is definitely something wrong with your heart.
