Daniel Szwed — Splinter
Splinter is the second solo album from Poland’s Daniel Szwed ( Woody Alien). It serves six slices of pounding, bounding, and hissing electronica/electro-industrial soundscaping.
The CD comes presented in a monochrome slip, with close-up/ abstract swirls and blobs on the front cover, and minimal white on black text.
We open with “S1( With Jessica)” which ties together taut electro stab, hissing/ skittering rhythmic detail, and dramatic gong chimes- all topped over with the faint wondering & wavering male vocals. “S3( With Mala Herba)” finds steadily bounding synth bass line, knocking/ snapping electro tone detail, and whispered female vocals- that often get engulfed by the flutter production detail.
In the release's second half, we get from the locked bass purr, lo-fi percussive tick-tock, abstracted cymbal churn, and strangely warped baying harmonics of “S5”. With the album playing out with S6(With Mala Herba)” which pairs wailing, almost folk-like female vocals with crude drum machine loop and overdriven/ distorted slams of hiss, bombastic, swirling noise rattle, and haze harmonic pitches.
As an album, Splinter feels corrupted and often on the edge of all-out noise hazing- but never does. For those who enjoy their electronica/electro-industrial on the edge of all out to hazed.