Damien Lynch Brunette

Damien Lynch enjoys countryside a drive in the twilight hour. This is his second offering for the ESP Institute. On side A, Brunette opens with a straight-ahead techno thump of hi-hats and a pulsating 16th-note bassline—a subtle playing field composed solely with a rare 1970’s Italian machine, the Godwin Drummaker 32, unearthed from the secret back room of a music shop in rural Ireland where it hid among wonderful vintage Russian synths and oddball electronics. This elegant track drips with warm and phasing pads, gentle staccato keys and beautifully simple arpeggios that blur every now and then—all affirming Damien’s less-is-more ideology. With side B’s Forced Relax, Damien continues to exercise his restraint, arranging his instruments in a band-like fashion, affording each player the sonic space to project their individual qualities whilst supporting an overall dialogue. There is a soft ebb and flow to every machine’s role, whether the swelling of bass or the interplay of percussive keys, but when these characters arrive in one place, the result is a tranquil euphoria. These two songs will accept you for who you truly are.