“EP2” is the second EP release from Sheffield’s Dodecca_, who explains it as a “collection of some of my most personal songs to date”.
Dodecca_ also says they’ve grown into their own sounds and has been experimenting with different techniques in order to seek out different vibes and sounds and settle, whilst still trying wrap their head around growing up, not just as a child, but also learning different lessons, meeting new people and riding the ride of life with it’s ups and downs.
It’s a five track EP, with the tracks ranging from short and sweet to a meaty five minutes, the artwork is an apt photo of a young Dodecca_ in what I believe is a Thunderbirds costume, which I think is a nice use of symbolism.
The opening track is called “Now Boarding” and it’s the shortest song of the EP, standing just over a minute and a half – and starts with what sounds like a techno-like church bell sound, and then a sci-fi laser-like sound and a mellow but consistent beat coming into it, the “Now Boarding” title is quite clever to introduce the EP, I liked that, and it just experiments with different tempos and sounds, it did sound like funky waiting room music, no lyrics or vocals mind, so I wondered if this was the style and theme throughout the EP.
“Night Night” is the second track and it’s quite upbeat compared to the first track, however, in a more eerie way? I’m more inclined to lean towards it’s nodding to childhood nightmares (maybe even adulthood ones too?) with the artwork.
There is definitely this darkness to it, and it follows through this theme throughout and again, there were no lyrics or vocals, but that said, it did make me think and reconnect with different nightmares I had as a child, and the theming, it’s consistently dark, if not a bit spooky and a little bit euphoric towards the end, like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, it does make you think harder about the symbolism and meaning of the track.
“Long Grass” is next and my thoughts immediately turned to playing outside, being told to come in when the streetlights came on, it had this whimsical sound looping through it, almost like an ice cream truck sound, but less annoying, then there is a shift in the noise at about 50 seconds in, kind of makes you pause and think and then it loops back, it’s quite a nice track and is reminiscent rather than dark, the shift from the second track is huge but does prove that there is real thought gone in, the shift and instrumental is connected to memories and emotions and I think that’s what Dodecca_ is trying to do here.
“In Our Rooms” is the penultimate song and it’s the longest of them all, standing at just over five minutes – it’s funky sounding but also has this sad pang running through it, it had my mind racing of what the experiences and thoughts could be, maybe it was relationships with lovers (or friends), maybe dark times spent in solitude or just safe spaces where you could let it out with your person, it does pick up a bit and almost felt like I was in a solo techno rave at one point, but it’s mixed together beautifully and it dips in and out of different tempos, which I think is representing different emotions and experiences that can be felt within times of our lives, it’s melancholic, happy and down all at the same time.
It was too long for me personally, but I think if you’re really in it and just need music to hyperfocus on that feeling, it’s perfect for this.
The final track of the EP is “Stardust” and it does have that “sci-fi” like dotting as if shooting stars are going off and leaving their patterns in the sky (or dust on the ground as it may), this is a more happier, upbeat track again and seems to be ending on a more positive note, which is nice.
It’s one of the shorter ones again at two minutes and ten seconds, but it was a nice note to end on, feeling twinkly and in a way cleansed? Either way, it’s a good one to end on.
Now, I struggle with music generally that doesn’t have lyrics and vocals, but Dodecca_’s done it in a way that there’s enough to work with to interpret the music in their way or make it your own, it’s clever, it’s personal and it’s easy to settle into if you give it the opportunity, probably isn’t for everyone, but it is worth a listen if you feel like you need to reminisce or give yourself thirty minutes to mull things over, a very well thought-through EP.
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