Dopesketch - Sound Awake

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Dopesketch’s Sound Awake is a multi-layered musical collage that is full of complex sonic interactions, fascinating soundscapes and hypnotic rhythms. The album is an engaging and unique audio exploration with a wide ranging scope to it.

Variety and depth define the sound palette on Sound Awake. Dopesketch roams through a deeply diverse series of sounds that run the gamut from elevated, nasal-sounding distortions to deep, gruff bass notes and warm, rounded sounds that stroke the ears. He combines them in intriguing ways to paint auditory pictures that erupt with colour and light.

All of the beats that Dopesketch crafts on Sound Awake grab the listener and drag them into the tracks. The rhythms are interesting, the drum sounds are fresh and they provide a strong underpinning on which the other sonic components can build into cohesive and entertaining tracks. I enjoy the playful nature of Dopesketch’s beat creation as it unfolds here.

I also take pleasure in hearing the emotional shifts in the music. Dopesketch takes us all on a journey that touches on joy, unsettled feelings, warmth and even anger as the tracks unfurl across the album. I find it hard to stop listening as I keep catching new emotive nuances in the music.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Self Help” starts off as ringing chimes jangle into the music before the solidly thrumming drumbeat and meaty bass move underneath. Chiming synths form a dense, dynamic pattern as twisting, nasal-sounding notes writhe in a bending line over the solidly throbbing drums. Organ-like notes add a resonant shine to the music that I find ear-caching. Drums thunder and gigantic bass pulsates while the chimes keep flashing in energetic lines.

There’s a moment in which bells ring out alone in an angular pattern before the wall of drums and bass charges in again. Raised, twirling synth unfolds in sinuous lines and the forceful bass rumbles. Handclaps and solidly hitting drums add shape to the track. Bells shimmer in a metallic flare as the wriggling, elevated synth fades out.

Rattling, thumping drums and a minor key, atonal synth that sounds like a distorted piano open “No pues si.” The piano-like notes are broken by pulsing, melting notes that form a steady pattern as the drums stutter and skip.

I enjoy the dissolving, minor key feeling in the organ sound as higher, piano-like notes cascade through. Loose-limbed drums skitter while the twisting, gelid synth flows through and piano notes move in a dragging pattern. Shadowed, pulsating organ pulls the music through a slow pulse and into silence.

"King Dopesketch” begins as resonant, slightly choppy synth carries a gentle melody and the drums and fractured, gritty bass create a solid underpinning.  Round, rough-edged notes create a repeating, enticing melodic pattern as digital-sounding, gruff notes swirl around it.

Evenly throbbing drums and colossal, heaving bass guide the track forward effectively.  The full, organ-like melodic pattern drives on, wrapping around my ears and creating a rhythmic tide that flows in my mind. The music is dominated by the huge drums that surge under the lead synth pattern's warmth and almost tender feeling.

Tight, jingling guitar moves over vibrant, trembling organ in quick flashes to open “Hey.” Tapping snare drum forms a shaping beat along with clapping percussion and shimmering synth. Drums and solid bass push the track along as a piano rolls in, adding textural weight that I find engaging.

Strings jump out in full-sounding bursts while the organ carries a smoothly gliding series of chords below the higher guitar flash. The piano has a depth and form to it, rich and dense as the drums continue to add strong propulsion. The organ swells and vibrates to add lushness to the rolling, interwoven piano as the track slowly glides out to an ending.

“Honorable Square” kicks off as quickly leaping, rough-edged notes are cut by a high, wandering synth that smears through the music above them.  Leaping, intensely flaring synth notes and stuttering drums pulsate, skimming along over thunderous bass depths.

Floating, nasal-sounding high synth oozes through over the harder edges of the flowering, leaping synth underneath it to create a pleasing contrast. Drums and bass add form to the tremulous synth chords’ vibration. Winding, high synth makes its snaky route over the continual drum battering and synth that splashes in harsh droplets.

High, digital-sounding chimes are broken into by pulsing computerized notes that gleam and flicker over an insistent, heavy drum and bass throbbing to open “Madness.” Medium-low synth sounds surge in a textural rush as rapidly oscillating, low notes with a metallic sound are broken by the glittering chimes.

I am enamoured of the sonic richness that results from the synth sounds descending in digitized lines as active, unevenly spaced bass pulses are cut by strange, high distortions with a rubbery feeling.

The drums have a trance-inducing quality along with the relentlessly roaming bassline that underpins the track. Rapidly pulsating notes wash in a tide that adds more shape to the music. The track fades on descending bass and bouncing drums.

“Fondle Me” starts out with brassy synth bursts that are joined by taut, open-sounding drums. The synth bursts flare out in bright, shifting notes and the drums flourish in a broken pattern. Glowing sounds surge as the drums keep circling and wandering. Grit-edged higher synth begins to drag slowly, notes sticking and being pulled out in long strings over the constantly throbbing, unevenly hollow drums. I enjoy the tension between tugging synthesized notes and slowly spiralling drums.

Warm, sunny synths bounce in a tangling melodic pattern over dense drums and rounded bass that moves in undulating notes to begin “Typical.” String-like, shimmering synths cascade and dance, giving off encouraging feelings while the bass and drums create a forward leaning motion.

There’s a pleasing sense of positive life permeating the music as the twinkling, intertwining strings tumble over one another. The beat’s constantly washing energy flows out underneath the other elements. Glowing light shines from the dancing strings over the rhythmic pulse below them as the track spins out to a conclusion.

“Gratitude” comes to life as a laser-like sound zaps in along with steadily oscillating, shining synth that rocks back and forth over the strong beat's solidity and the rough-edged bass. Bells flash out as medium-high, organ-like synth plays a wildly varied and wandering line. Massive drums and smooth bass waves wash as agitated, angular organ vibrates and distant voices move.

I am drawn to the complexity of the sonic interactions here. Now full, nasal-sounding synth plays almost classical sounding lines before the repeating, indistinct voice moves again. Climbing organ notes whirl as angular synths move alone briefly. Swinging, flowing drums and bass shift as the organ-like notes shiver and the voice mumbles to close out the track.

Conclusion

Dopesketch is a musical wizard who casts sonic spells as he combines a pinch of this sound and a snippet of that beat to form richly layered and engaging music on Sound Awake. Each of his releases seems to get deeper and wilder which is something I certainly enjoy.