Producer Lee Pylon’s dogs versus shadow project is not for the average passing listener. Less an album of electronic music and more like transmissions from the beyond, his Waxing Crescent Records debut The Importance of Elsewhere is skittering static and disembodied voices from another dimension. It’s as if Pylon opened lines of communication with realms beyond our own and someone, or something, is answering the call.
Over the course of 12 tracks we are privy to buzzing delights and alien conversations. Static morphs into distant voices while music comes from drones and makeshift industrial rhythms. Waxing Crescent Records aptly describes the world Pylon has created: “the sounds of end-of-its-life communications equipment, snatches of voices heard on late night shortwave, mashed up field recordings and skittering beats all feature heavily on this essential release.“
Listening to The Importance of Elsewhere I’m reminded of artists like Huerco S and Kuma, musician/producers not afraid to build songs from walls of noise. Finding deeper meaning in what the average ear would interpret as just noise. There’s a strange beauty in found sound and perplexing noises. Layered in the right way, this sort of world building can be quite profound.
Titles like “Telexed” and “The Giddy Widow” are portals into Pylon’s sonic world. Worm holes that lead to these David Lynchian-like dreams; odd, somewhat disconcerting, yet dizzying and alluring as well. These feel more like momentary lapses of hallucination than just standard compositions. There’s a fever dream quality as well. “How The Wild East Mids Was Lost” feels like dreaming in a anesthetic haze. The moment right before you begin to wake from that gauzy, numbed state where the drugs and reality morph. “An Invitation That Went Viral” sounds like one of those Boards of Canada interludes, but created specifically for some art house horror film.
With The Importance of Elsewhere you must know going in this isn’t some ethereal, cosmic ride or dance floor bangers. This isn’t the usual electronic music ride, folks. Lee Pylon’s dogs versus shadows project is the kind of project that asks you to take the red pill and see just how far the rabbit hole goes. My advice? Take the red pill and enjoy the ride.
dogs versus shadows’ The Importance of Elsewhere is available now via Waxing Crescent Records. Buy it here.
Complex Distractions 
This reminds me of a shoppe on St. Catherines in Montreal when we lived there, a record store in a half basement where I bought all my Portishead and Massive Attack (etc) albums. He was always playing stuff like this. One time I walked in and said “Dude, it’s eating your tape!” and he laughed so hard. Good memories.
LikeLiked by 1 person