CD, Kvitnu, 2007
www.dunaewsky69.com.ua
On June 2007, Dunaewsky69 released their second CD entitled “Xquisite.Xcerpt”on Ukrainian label Kvitnu. This relatively new label was started in late 2006, with “Xquisite.Xcerpt” being their sophomore release. The album contains twelve tracks, clocking in at 78 minutes and comes in a cardboard eco-pack limited to 500 copies. The artwork, created by Ukrainian artist Zavoloka, is quite visually pleasing and the simple clean design of the packaging adds to the CD’s appeal. However, I would like to note that it’s quite hard to remove the CD from the plastic peg without having to worry about bending or breaking it. I made sure to test this theory to confirm that “it isn’t just me” who had trouble removing it and my test subjects agreed. The general consensus was that the CD is quite troublesome to take out from its casing.
The first eight tracks didn’t really impress me at first, but to be honest the CD really ended up growing on me after I listened to it for the fortieth time or so. “Flyings In Slumber” doesn’t really have any outstanding high nor low end, which leaves the song sounding flat. “Touch to Unattached” could benefit from some cross fading and more organic transitions between the loops, however, the warm synth sound in the beginning of the track is nice. As the tracks progress the song structures get more interesting although the overall anatomy of the songs remains very simple and loop based.
I find the later tracks such as “The Children Of Underground, Inhalation, Exhalation” , “Roman Kosh” and “Liya” to be the three most outstanding tracks on this release. “The Children Of Underground, Inhalation, Exhalation” showcases Alex Gladun’s prior experience within the Noise genre, as is evident through the use of the noisy synths in the beginning of the track that create a fantastic atmosphere. The synths are crunchy and cohesive with the beat, which is a successful combination that creates a mood that the artist has been trying to establish since the beginning of the album. The final track on this record “Liya”, is the most standout track of “Xquisite.Xcerpt”, with its beautifully robust synth lines that come precisely together. Unlike the first few songs on the CD, it feels more like a finished product rather than loosely tied collection of good ideas.
[7/10]
— Bea W.