Artist Radar: Sad Night Dynamite
What do you get when you mix Goosebumps, Gorillaz, Stranger Things, and Kavinsky in a blender, and add a sprinkle of 80’s horror scores and hip-hop? You get Sad Night Dynamite.
The duo from Glastonbury, Archie Blagden & Josh Greacen, grew up together just outside of one of the world’s largest music festivals. Being in the vicinity of that enormity of talent and eclecticism leaves its mark, and you can hear influences from MF DOOM to Portishead in their music. With a completely unique style, SND weaves the theatrical and ominous into freak-fest bangers. In their words, “We’re not particularly drawn to the happy, softer side of things. I don’t think it’s enough to just want to cheer everyone up, that’s such a nothing thing to do.” So they set out to do “something” with their music, and it’s entirely refreshing and unsettling. Their lyrics create farcical, nightmare-fueled worlds that catapult you into synth filled, bass-booming alternate realities. You never know where a song will lead you, but you will be on the edge of your seat.
The duo has been releasing singles throughout 2020 & 2021, leading up to their freshman, self-titled album. It’s a doozy from start to finish so buckle up.
In Icy Violence, sinister and distorted voices lead you down a rabbit hole of siren-like wails. Then, reggae-dub keyboards, a-la Fat Freddy’s Drop, crawl through the headphones and tease you into one of the illest beats of 2021. It’s lush, creepy, and fully consuming.
On Smoke Hole, SND’s synth and bass lines could have been crafted by Dr. Dre himself. Their musicianship betrays a talent far beyond their years. Sometimes it feels like you are stuck in an evil circus, ripping through a broken ride, with something sinister around the next corner. Other times it feels like you’re hanging out of a sunroof with a bottle of Dom, slapping down main street. One thing is for sure, this music will make you feel something.
SND is riding a wave of their own creation.
Editor’s Picks: “Icy Violence”, “Killshot”, “Smoke Hole”
- Written by Phil Thompson
March 25, 2021