Being the resident ambient nerd comes with its perks – namely, all the interesting premieres pertaining to that genre get thrown right in my face. Which is cool, especially when said premieres turn out to be a valuable listening experience. As you can probably guess from the convoluted set-up, this one falls squarely into that category.
Appropriate Savagery is the ambient/drone project of David Lacroix, who has been putting out works under that moniker since 2017. It’s not a name I would immediately associate with this kind of music, but I guess that’s a unique charm point. “As Bright As Dawn (Daughter of Light, Will You Remember Me?)” comes as the first taste of Lacroix’s upcoming album Three Flickering Horns, Forever Framed – boy, these titles are a mouthful! – which will be out on March 21 via Roman Numeral Records.
“As Bright As Dawn” straddles the eerie border between ambient techno and new age synth work, relying on minimal percussive input and drawn-out, shimmering synth lines to effectively set the mood. The back end of the song becomes proper hauntology, employing what sounds like a vocal sample and a more pronounced drone to shift the mood into more psychologically harrowing territory. The building of tension is quite competently handled, and thus makes for an appropriately savage atmosphere (roll credits!).
About the upcoming album, Lacroix has the following to say:
‘This is my most ambitious work to date, sculpted from a tumultuous stillness, where illusions are shaped, and the warmth of forgotten moments dissolves into the void. A creation that demanded to be unearthed, forged from fragments that refuse to be silenced. With it, I seek to close a chapter, letting certain echoes vanish while others find their voice, now distant but unmistakable.‘
I think the biggest strength Appropriate Savagery displays on this track is a keen ear for sound design. There’s a pristine edge to “As Bright As Dawn”, bordering on being eerily immaculate. Nothing sounds off-putting or overly gritty; the ominous energy of the track is constructed purely through its composition and progression, which I find to be quite impressive. Using this level of technical mastery as a storytelling device is a novel concept, and I applaud Lacroix for his daring approach.
Three Flickering Horns, Forever Framed will be out on March 21; you can pre-order it via the official Roman Numeral Records store or Bandcamp. It comes in all digital formats, as well as limited vinyl and tape editions – act fast if you want those! You can follow Appropriate Savagery on social media (Facebook | Instagram) and check out more of his music on Soundcloud.
