EXILE review - Exile-ent

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Exile is a Shadowrun inspired 2020 album of b-sides by darksynth artist Daniel Deluxe (or Daniel Alexandrovich). I had initially learned of Daniel through his contributions to the <DESYNC> dual soundtrack (which featured one of my favorites in the present crop of synthwave artists, Volkor X). I learned of this album's existence when I decided to check in on Spotify to see if any of my faves (Volkor, Meteor, EL TIGR3, Wolf and Raven, Hollywood Burns, Irving Force, etc.) had dropped new material--none of them had, but I saw that this had come out. Now, I had enjoyed the <DESYNC> OST, but hadn't listened to any of Daniel's album material before otherwise, so this piqued my interest with its... eye-catching album art (I will never apologize) by Nikita Basarev and Alex Coffin. Had I been sleeping on one of the best voices in the burgeoning synthwave field? As it turns out, I wouldn't call Daniel that because of this album, but I will say that I have gained a greater appreciation of him artistically by listening to this album chock-full of bangers.


In my time covering this overlooked genre, I don't believe I've ever been unclear about how I am biased in favor of this type of tune aesthetically, and I will say that Deluxe brings a lot to the table for those who have a fondness for the pulse-pounding synthetic beats of a Volkor X or Irving Force. Exile feels as if it is a full-fledged, cinematic production with more meat to its bones than many releases by top-tier artists signed to venerated labels. The knowledge that it is a b-sides compilation is a shock because it all feels so fully realized, evocative, and richly textured. Every track on here is this breakneck paced hit that takes you by the hand through these ruined cyberpunk cities. That said, I don't think it ever reaches the same heights as a This Means War or a Para||el Lives and can feel a tad one-dimensional. It's an album I can see myself coming back to for its highlights, but lacks the impact of something like the title track off of TMW. Sure, "Sojourn" is the perfect choice for an opener, but there are no sprawling, multi-phased epics on this album that seamlessly journey from pulse-pounding, electrifying alien invasions to more contemplative whimsy; not a single track on this track listing hits 4 minutes (technically--"Dead No More" literally misses that by one solitary second). Despite each song generally being nicely built-out, the album is a lil deficient in terms of the meat on its bones. Exile does have its more relaxing, beautiful moments, but they are fleeting; in service of high-octane fist-pumper after high-octane fist-pumper. Aside from the obligatory closer, "Night," (which is a bit of a nothing song with not much to say about it and gets old real quick, flaming out as soon as it seems ready to start building up into something) track after track just feels like "yet another DD barn-burner." Which is by no means bad, mind you. But it lacks that necessary spark to push things into the top echelon of what synth can do in this new decade, building off of what the last decade's worth of synth gave us.

Exile is an incredibly fun listen, and its highlights include "One of Them," Dead No More, "Dream FX," Sojourn, and "Overseer". One of Them is by far the most relentless and catchy of the bunch and Overseer does a good job building on its energy. But, while a lot of these songs are great to listen to when they're on, a lot of these songs also just lack memorability and staying power. Whereas I could still hum entire passages off of White Crows by heart years after my first listen, I don't think I could ever do the same of anything on here. Exile gets a 9/10.

Awesome

Summary:
If you are a fan of Daniel Deluxe's sound or darksynth in general, Exile is a must-listen that will more than satiate you. But if you're new to the scene, I would recommend you try something else to start off. Exile won't turn you off or anything, but there are better, less one-dimensional entry points to this kind of music.

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