Emerging from the deepest darkest shadows in Dubstep, Widow has officially risen. The up and coming Canadian has been on my radar for quite some time and even appeared on the Producers To Watch feature for 2019. Just over a year later we see him deservedly land on one of the most prolific labels in the genre, Deep Dark & Dangerous. In an isolated, candle-lit dwelling in rural Canada, Widow has cast his spell over four tracks of spirit conjuring sound design and potent bass-weight, developing an intense guided tour through a notorious forest land with powers that mustn’t be taken lightly.
With torch in hand and a fistful of supernatural energy in the other, Widow guides us towards the dark, untouched entrance of ‘Hoia Baciu‘, a land of dense, misshapen trees, all inexplicably twisted in a clockwise direction and centuries old spirits harbouring the foggy unexplored pathways. In great detail and with great clarity, Widow fleshes out the sounds of the forest; the cries of a crow, the howl of a wolf and ominous strings, he confidently wields his bewitching bass-weight regardless of the spectres that may be disturbed. Following a huge tension filled second drop and a breath taking switch, a phantom like presence is forced upon us. Disturbed by the mighty 808s, songful cries of an unseeable wandering child echos from beyond the trees, with eerie notes tip-toeing the melody as Widow looks to get stuck into more spook filled ambience.
‘The Portal‘ is a myth told by the small town’s locals for years. An urban legend, or so we thought. The expedition follows Widow, unknowingly turning towards a fabled tree known as the arc and the entrance to ‘The Portal‘. A magical demonstration of space and bass, Widow‘s increasingly powerful sound designs rip open and suck all that is present into a black, colourless void of suffocating, and quite frankly impressive, sub-zero frequencies, harnessed by very sharp, very tangible percussive hits. With the temperature both audibly and physically plummeting and as we delve deeper into the inescapable forest, the more visible the underworld becomes.
We find ourselves wrapped and suspended in the menacing, intangible web of ‘The Labyrinth‘. Widow‘s breathy, frenzied flute provides one of my favourite moments on the EP, and one of the eeriest. The odd, sinister giggle and monstrous mid-range growls remind fellow explorers of the evil residing in this Widow‘s mythical world, their faces revealed as our fate is finally decided upon ‘Serpent’s Tongue‘. A ‘boss level‘ finale, ‘Serpent’s Tongue‘ is a final torrent of dark, unrelenting low end movements, oozing in texture and spine chilling tones like the ectoplasm that rests in the thickets. Sonically satisfied but physically fatigued, we edge towards the end of the evening’s experience, but the Serpents Tongue speaks, the sweeping snarls are assertive, it looks like we’re stuck in the bowels of ‘Hoia Baciu‘ for time without end. But, it must be said, if Widow continues to reside here whilst providing the soundtrack to this blackened underworld, then I’m more than happy to stay.
Widow is the latest talent to debut on the Deep Dark & Dangerous imprint. A match made in heaven (hell), it’s one of my favourite producer/label combos this year. Like a horror film emanating through the sound system, he is not only successful in creating a highly visual and captivating project, but also able to create deep dark music comparable to legends like Kryptic Minds, Kaiju and even early stuff from label head honchos themselves, Truth. Not bad for a debut release! With ‘Hoia Baciu‘ Immediately following the wicked ‘The Haunting‘ EP by ColtCuts earlier this month and Truth‘s latest EP ‘Without You‘, Deep Dark & Dangerous are on an absolute tear and long may it continue! As for Widow himself, I’ve got a feeling we’ll catch him in the shadows again very soon.
DDD067 is out this Friday (28th August) and available to download from the Deep Dark & Dangerous Bandcamp.
Check out Widow on Soundcloud.
Check out Deep Dark & Dangerous on Soundcloud & Twitter.