In the 10 years I’ve written for this publication, I’ve covered many releases in the musical tapestry. Metal, country, soul, pop: you name it. There have been mainstream fixtures, legacy darlings, hipster savants, and artists maybe 10 people have heard of. However, I’ve never covered a record written, recorded, and released by someone I consider a friend outside of the music. I mean, that would be a conflict of interest, right? That has to be some sort of golden rule drilled into any writer’s head. Doing so ruins objectivity, breeds nepotism, and turns music criticism into a self-congratulatory circle jerk.
So, in full disclosure, I’m writing about the band da.daer.
This duo is made up of two of my closest friends, Kendon Luscher and Jon Robertson. Kendon is a former writer at Bearded Gentlemen, and Jon owns the place. Ethically, I should run in the opposite direction from this album as a journalist while celebrating it as a friend and fan of music. But instead of putting any of my hard-earned credibility in question by saying Waltz Into The Water is a remarkable masterpiece and one of the greatest records in the history of music, I will take this opportunity to present it to you as something you may or may not want to check out. At the very least, decide for yourself.
Kendon and Jon formed da.daer out of the ashes of the now-defunct dark comedy podcast, Ad Read. Where that particular show began as a sardonic spoof of podcast ads, it slowly evolved into a meta-commentary on commercialism and, finally, into an avant-garde musical project. With each release, Kendon and Jon have explored various corners of electronic music. From ominous voice samples to abrasive textures, the evolution occurred in real time. Soon, the project stood on its own, apart from its podcast beginnings.
With Waltz Into The Water, the proverbial evolution hits its latest phase. Despite knowing Kendon and Jon personally, I’m not here to explain what the record is about or its long-gestating backstory. I mean, having personal insight would just go back to ruining objectivity, right? Besides, the puzzle-piece structure of the compositions will have you asking more questions than receiving answers. What’s it about? Who knows. Plus, it’s important to note that the record doesn’t operate on the standard verse-chorus-verse logic of traditional music. Instead, each song is made up of distorted layers building tension upon themselves to create something both weird and fascinating.
What does Waltz Into The Water sound like? Well, it’s pretty weird; I can say that much without sharing an official opinion.
It has all the dark humor and uncomfortable tension from previous da.daer releases. Picture Devo’s evil bizarro twin. Sonically, some of the industrial elements have been taken down a notch to something more organic. Think Kraftwerk meets Suicide with maybe a hint of Nine Inch Nails. But beneath all the uncanny aesthetic and dead planet exploration, the twosome provided underlying layer of self-deprecating romanticism. The vulnerability is subtle, but the nuance keeps the record from being icy and deadpan.
Because of the disclaimer at the start of this article, I won’t tell you whether or not this album is a stroke of genius or just a stroke in the aforementioned circle-jerk. But I can say that legitimate musical weirdness is a rare commodity these days. As albums written and performed by algorithmic AI prompts and coding slither their way into mainstream charts, I know for a fact that da.daer is made up of actual people. After all, I know them personally. And I also know this album exists, and I’ve listened to it. Now that I’ve brought it to your attention, you have the choice to go and listen to it or not. (I like it quite a bit and if you’re into any of the bands I mentioned, I think you will too.)
If you do choose to listen and want physical proof that it exists, you can purchase a limited-edition cassette at Knuckles On Stun. That is, if there are any left after each writer at this site has to purchase one or has to look for another publication to write for.