Eugene Dubon – ‘Miniaturization’
There aren’t many musicians around who manage to marry talent with mystery in the way that Eugene Dubon does. Artistically, the Seattle-via-London artist has all the means necessary to become a true cult hero; all he needs now is more people to take notice of his work. With each release, Dubon adds more devoted followers to his cause, and on his latest EP, Miniaturization, he’s once again asserted why he is one to keep a close eye on.
Dubon is one of the most distinctive musicians I’ve heard in a long time, fusing a love of motorik, programmed drum beats with reverb-laden guitar lines that fit somewhere between the ethereal sensibilities of DIIV and the pulsating doom conjured by Protomartyr. Adding to the charm are thought-provoking basslines and, as the final piece in the puzzle, a striking accented snarl that spins surreal tales that have one foot in the real world and the other in the imagination.
When Dubon arrived with the double A-side ‘Emails / Cloud Over Ohio’, I was blown away by the professionalism that an artist of his standing boasts. This wonder has only been increased with his latest offering, a six-track body of work that crystallises his formula whilst also pointing to the future. Though some moments might feel familiar, and the fact that the record would have been unaffected by their absence, these are considerably outweighed by the highlights this body of work has to offer.
Explaining what compelled him to write such a full-bodied work, Dubon tells me that the absurdism of Isaac Asimov’s book, Fantastic Voyage, underpins much of it. He said: “The EP is an ode to Isaac Asimov’s Fantastic Voyage, a spy thriller set in a miniature submarine travelling through a human body. While the whole book is presented in a measured and rational manner, and the science behind it all is well-researched and considered, there’s an inherent absurdism to riding around somebody’s blood vessels in a submersible, even if they are doing so to potentially save lives. Miniaturization is about how this absurdism is mirrored in the mundane aspects of our present everyday lives.”
The record kicks off with the haunting ‘Holding Up The Proceedings’. It starts with the creepy bubbling of his voice, thanks to the adroit use of effects and one of Dubon’s typically hypnotic, tom-heavy drum beats backed by a crawling bassline. Taking us on a drive through American cities like Baltimore and Buffalo, the track gradually locomotes in the background as the vocalist remains unwavering in reeling off this list of cities he might or might not have visited. As the tension ramps up, he discusses losing his bag before things take a deathly turn.
Another highlight of the record is ‘Hole’. Even before the filter is gradually removed, the direct rhythm pulls you in and has you animatedly bobbing your head along to it. After the droning beginning section, Dubon crafts a mesmeric ride, assuring us: “You don’t know Eugene Dubon like you thought you did”.
From the industrial textures he employs in the background to the atmosphere conjured by the break section, where he sings, “Just a place in the sand where you can fly once again”, and the echoed bends of his guitar that create ample anxiety, Dubon explores his more punishing side on this song, and it’s highly effective.
Nevertheless, the main dish of this composition is the final climax. The most thunderous palette the American has delivered thus far in his career, the distorted swells of the guitar and industrial trudges of the drum beat envelop each other as he plays a piercing solo line on top.
The final cut, ‘Gloaming’, is also a standout. Opening with a more experimental beat than usual, driven by cymbals, Dubon’s mutterings from the outset make you wonder what direction this song might go, particularly in light of the aforementioned surprise. At one point, noisy guitars enter the mix, providing another conjurer of tension that dovetails with the heavy bass and drums, building it up to another brief, albeit hair-raising finale.
Listen to Miniaturization below.
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