damien dubrovnik: first burning attraction

Formed in 2009, Damien Dubrovnik is the Danish electronic duo of Christian Stadsgaard (Sarah's Charity) and Loke Rahbek (Sexdrome, Var, Lust For Youth), founders of the Copenhagen-based record label Posh Isolation. In their day-job as label managers, Stadsgaard and Rahbek have been instrumental in establishing the city's prolific and exciting noise/punk community and outgrowing their humble beginnings in noise/industrial culture by attracting a cult/fanatical worldwide following. Working together as Damien Dubrovnik, they have published work across two LPs, a handful of sought-after cassette releases, compilations and notched up numerous performances throughout Europe and Scandinavia. Their third LP, First Burning Attraction, draws explicitly from DIY minimal synth traditions and the canon of European industrial music, resulting in the strongest manifestation of their sound so far. Consisting of six powerful and varied tracks, the album features more of the brooding synth parts and ominous bass throbs that dominated the highlights of previous LP Europa Dagbog -- Europa Diary, yet it feels tenser and more atmospheric due to the application of new acoustic-based sound sources, primitive bass pulses and more disciplined dynamics. Rahbek's vocals, which were previously guttural and wild, appear more restrained here, giving the tracks an alluring air of ambiguity and suggestiveness -- no undirected aggression, but something more thoughtful and introspective instead. Mastered by Viktor Olsson and cut by Grammy Greg at Masterpiece studios in London, 2013.

Damien Dubrovnik - First Burning Attraction [ALT08]