Darto Releases ‘Human Giving’ LP and joint Darto / WAND 7” plus New Video for ‘No-Self’
U.S. release on September 8. U.K. release on September 22.
““I Am” is a catchy sultry melancholic downtempo synth-infused psych-trip combining the best of Cate Le Bon, The Velvet Underground, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and The Black Ryder. The keyboards and strings seemingly propel the movement and the lyrics with instrumentation seem to induce a trance-like feeling” – The Big Takeover Magazine
“Experimental rock outfit Darto are into something. That something is called dichotomy. Mixing together adventurousness with playfulness, they have crafted a sound that is both challenging and accessible. This can be heard on recent track ‘No Self’. With repetitive and hypnotic vocals, jagged guitar stabs, and yet a lightness that is endearing, the track pushes the boundaries but at no time does the track lose sight of what is most important. Namely, that’s being memorable” – Overblown Magazine
Aagoo Records has just released two packages of goodness simultaneously: The first is ‘Human Giving’, a full length album from Seattle-based four-piece Darto. The second is the ‘Follow Up / Hush’7” featuring Darto and WAND, who wrote and performed these tracks together. Today they also released the new creepy video for ‘No-Self’.
‘Human Giving’ was preceded by the single ‘I Am’, which The Big Takeover Magazine calls “a catchy sultry melancholic downtempo synth-infused psych-trip combining the best of Cate Le Bon, The Velvet Underground, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and The Black Ryder”.
The album’s mood is immediately clear from the first note of ‘GDLS’, enveloping the space around the listener. By the time ‘I Am’ enters, the sound and feeling transitions from lush and inviting, to focused and intentional with the keyboards and strings propelling the movement. The lyrics and accompanying melodies float along seamlessly like being lulled into a dream.
Darto is Gordon De Los Santos, Gregory Flores, Candace Harter, Nicholas Merz. ‘Human Giving’ was recorded by Darto between September 2015 and January 2016 in a cabin in Cle Elum, WA and their home in Seattle. The ‘Follow Up / Hush’ 7″ was written, performed and recorded by Darto and Wand at Comp-ny in Burbank, CA in April 2017. It was engineered and recorded by Be Hussey. Both releases were mixed by Cory Hanson at Comp-ny and mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA.
“We smashed together in Los Angeles and wrote these two songs; repurposed lyrics we wrote in the studio together. A lot of people got to sing who had never sung on record before,” says Cory Hanson of WAND. “All in all, this was a successful collaboration I think. The spirit of both bands made it onto the tape together, intact. We ate breakfast burritos the next morning, then Darto flew away. I went to go to the beach but our car died in Topanga Canyon”.
Aagoo Records is home to vinyl releases by Xiu Xiu, Lucky Dragons, The Use with Rachelm Mason, Philippe Petit and more. ‘Human Giving’ can now be ordered in physical format from Aagoo Records’ websiteand digitally via Darto’s Bandcamp.
DARTO ‘HUMAN GIVING’ TRACK LIST
1. GLDS
2. I Am
3. Omniscient
4. Fell III
5. Truss
6. No Self
7: Human Becoming
8. Character Study
9. Guiding Light
10. Aging
11. Within Without
12. American Storyteller
WAND/ DARTO 7″ TRACK LIST
1. Follow Up
2. Hush
TOUR DATES
