Post-punk Performance Art Band Donzii’s “Sand” Uses Unique Rhythms For an Effect Like Choreography as Much as Songwriting

Donzii4_sm — Donzii (Jenna Balfe), photo courtesy the artists

“Sand” by Miami’s Donzii is a great example of creative use of a drum machine because the opening of the song sounds like a super precise couple of drummers creating an organic beat that draws you in before the synths, brooding bass and moody vocals establish the song’s dark and enigmatic narrative. Initially the song sounds like something out of the current revival of post-punk and darkwave but the beat is too earthy like something from a dance song for an effect like late 80s Talk Talk doing a one-off with Malaria! There is something wonderfully off standard modern post-punk and in the rhythms is where this band distinguishes itself whether in the bass lines, the percussion, the structure, the cadence of the vocals, all of it and how it all intersects and mutually complements. It’s approach feels as much like choreography as musical composition. Because of that the band comes at this sound from a different angle even if it touches all the tonal and atmospheric qualities that have made much of the modern darkwave and post-punk at its best so compelling. The words seem to express the completely understandable sentiment about the transitory nature of life and how true freedom comes from being free of the overly burdensome nature of trying to survive and thrive in an economic system that is stacked against everyone not in the upper 1% of the 1% all while the engines of that commerce are working to dismantle the natural world as we know it. It’s easy to be fatalistic. But this song articulates how if you live like the worst has passed maybe you can live with the kind of freedom that comes from not having an attachment to the things that don’t really matter. Listen to “Sand” on Soundcloud and follow Donzii at the links below.