This one-woman act is an attempt to reveal a softer, more thoughtful and delicate side of the band “Unter Null”. It succeeds beautifully. If you are better pleased by melancholy vocals gliding over a hypnotic synthline, all kept in time by a perfectly structured beat, as I am, then this is the side of Erica Dunham for you.
The opening track “Kindred Soul”, which was also chosen to appear on the compilation “Sounds from the Matrix”, is an amazing track. It’s almost several songs in one, gelling into one long feeling of emotional realisation. The album as a whole is a great one, not to mention the CD artwork which fits the feel of the album seamlessly. I just feel that Kindred Soul was so amazing as an opening track that it took me a while to be able to stop skipping back to “Kindred Soul”. Once you get past this, you will discover every other track on the album is more than worth letting it play through to the end.
Erica’s voice I must say has been one of, if not my favourite female vocalist discovery in the electro genres as a whole. It has such a great uniqueness that fits this style of music flawlessly, whether she uses digital distortion on some songs or not. It’s soulful and dark and almost tortured, but still the sound of a pleasant nightingale on the ears.
This is an exceptional piece of electronic music and I would definitely be keeping my ear to the ground for a future release. It’s something that demands your attention only with a promise of soothing you with it’s ambient moods, provoking thoughts and most definitely sticking in your mind for a good while.
http://www.myspace.com/stray23
Tags: stray unter null Erica electronic electro ambient music
