Just when you think you have them nailed down, Dusky leap off in a strange direction and veers completely off the chart. “Square Miso” is the lead track from their new EP on 17 Steps. I think it’s my favorite release of theirs since the just as out-of-nowhere “Rise for Love” from their 2013 Careless EP on AUS. The drums and those rising chords at the break sound like remastered elements of a classic New Wave album, backing a long lost New Romantic heartthrob that never was. Floating overhead like a disembodied lover is a vocal stab that’s as simple as it is effective: “True. I wanna be” – and back and forth and forward and backward to the point of ecstasy.
The B-side sees a 3 minute reprise of “Square Miso” that’s beatless, heavy on the chords and undoubtedly meant for dramatic turns in their sets or daybreak moments in the waning festival season. “LF10” is more driving, a tightly coiled deep tech track right out of the best of the ’90s.
Dusky: Square Miso/LF10 (17 Steps)
1. Dusky: Square Miso (Original Mix) (6:09)
2. Dusky: LF10 (Original Mix) (6:10)
3. Dusky: Square Miso (Reprise) (3:09)