6 essential Dorian Concept tracks
There is a certain element of playfulness and wonder that can be heard in the music of the Viennese-born, self-taught multi-instrumentalist and producer Oliver Thomas Johnson, aka Dorian Concept. Here are our six favourite tracks from this maverick.
1.Draft Culture
If you love Dorian Concept, you have obviously heard and adored this track. The harmonies are hypnotic; it’s so easy on the ears that it makes you wonder what a genius it must take to figure out how to make such a complicated arrangement so accessible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejg6K6Pb03E
2. Vertical Output
This experimental, modern classic will make you wiggle wherever you are. It’s a weird, sci-fi fidget house, futuristic banger that we imagine is played in outer space raves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKJFuQabYKs
3. Promises
This track has a gorgeous, rich piano intro that adds to the lusciousness of the minimalist layers of his voice. As is to be expected from him by now, for all the considered, high-concept musing, the result is refreshingly unpretentious: dizzying swells, cacophonous breakdowns and formidable rhythms are both expert and childlike, hyperactive and hyper-focused.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qokGndyIp8k
4. J Buyers
This song is criminally underrated. It’s a slight reminder of Telefon Tell Aviv and Hudson Mohawke, especially because of the perfect distillation of the obscure and familiar. This may sound cheesy but we wish our dreams sounded like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE37PrZaWUc
5. Booth Thrust
Booth Thrust’ dances around the groove in 2.1 step style, injecting elements with a fruitier flair. This song is instantly likeable and also makes you realise how skilled DC must be to move at the pace he does to create absurd magic like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMe5zxjjjPI
6. Toothbrush
Toothbrush’ plays out tight helter skelter harmonies yoked to surging ghettotech bumps. It’s a mix of most of his famous tracks with a bit of Autechre-Dial in it. This track has never seen an official release but remains a staple of Dorian Concept sets.
Originally published at https://warpcore.live on October 21, 2019.
Article link: https://warpcore.live/2019/10/21/6-essential-dorian-concept-tracks/
Words by Drishti
