First published in Issue 3 of The Warragul Citizen. (12 December 2011, Page 7.)
Skeleton is the first single from Missouri-based one-man-band He Dreamt Of Ascension (HDOA), and is as interesting for its B-sides as it is for the title track.
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Skeleton is a disjointed-yet-musical rock song that somehow manages to successfully evoke the feel of a skeleton walking. The song delves into the listener’s hidden past, playing with the idea of the skeleton of an umbrella in your mind hiding your secrets from the world.
The Ungrateful mix of Skeleton is a dance remix which digs up outtakes from the original track. This revived content sometimes sounds like a mix of The Mighty Boosh and The Cure. The mix is not as musical as the original, but has a catchy rhythm that leaves you hanging on every beat.
The remaining four tracks are two radio edits of the Skeleton mixes and two stunning ambient tracks: Beauty Into Filth and The All-embracing Apex. Beauty Into Filth is a motif-driven piece which carries the same feel as the title track.
The All-embracing Apex is the stand-out of the B-sides. Hidden at the end of the single it is like a cross between NASA’s Symphonies of the Planets and the B-sides from Radiohead’s Amnesiac. This track demonstrates just how well HDOA blends wonderfully controlled ambient music with Doctor Popular-like lead instrumentation.
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The single is streaming on HDOA’s website, with the option of a pay-what-you-think download of individual tracks or the entire single. www.hedreamtofascension.com. Direct link to the single: goo.gl/2sgHj