Dual Dialect’s latest EP, Conglomerate, offers an immersive experimental soundscape where every sonic element, whether saxophone, electronic pads, or manipulated voices and sound effects, serve as a deliberate tool in the hands of its creators.
The Meanjin-based duo, Andrew Garton and Andrew Foley, craft a richly textured musical world where glitchy electronica and jazz-infused improvisation merge seamlessly, inviting listeners to explore a complex emotional and sonic architecture. Across eight tracks, Conglomerate unfolds like a carefully constructed edifice.
Tracks 1, 3, 5, and 7 function as atmospheric mortar between the album’s four core compositions, weaving voices and ambient moods that bind the EP’s diverse elements into a cohesive whole. These intros and interludes create a reflective space that both frames and absorbs the more melodic and rhythmically intense pieces.
The journey begins with “Conglomerate I – Climb the Pyramid”, a gentle, melancholic piece anchored by a subtle modulator rhythm and a tender saxophone melody. It evokes the slow ascent of a ziggurat, setting a contemplative tone for what follows.
Next, “Conglomerate II – Algorithm Rituals” shifts into a darker, more cinematic realm. With electronic arpeggios that shimmer like fractured glass and saxophone cries that pierce the texture, this track conjures the eerie, unsettling atmosphere of a David Lynch soundtrack, deeply immersive and haunting.
The sixth track, “Conglomerate III – Meme-leak Mosaic”, ventures further into experimental territory. Here, distorted bass pads, flutes, marimba-like percussion, and organ-style arpeggios intertwine in a dreamlike collage. The piece balances coherence and chaos, making sense and yet defying logic simultaneously, like a vivid, surreal reverie.
The EP closes with “Conglomerate IV – Blue-screen Bebop in the Key of Doom Flat”, a masterclass in compositional complexity. The interplay between saxophone, electronic pads, and percussion is exquisitely precise, creating a dynamic ebb and flow throughout the track. A slow, meditative middle section offers a fleeting calm before the intensity returns, propelled by rhythmic pulses and an exotic augmented second interval in the pads that lends a Middle Eastern flavor, adding depth and intrigue.
According to the artists, Conglomerate reflects a fascination with the
“Cultlike ascension of tech empires and their cave in.”
Foley’s use of dark, minor synth pads, detuned speech samples, and glitchy drum beats paints a sonic picture of ominous, towering structures on the brink of collapse. Garton’s expanded palette of acoustic wind instruments interacting with Foley’s electronics creates a vivid contrast, epic universes built and then torn down in cascading musical avalanches.
This EP invites reflection on the precariousness of modern technological empires. Released as a digital album and as a limited edition DIY cassette, Conglomerate is a compelling, melancholic journey through sound, structure, and emotion, an album full of unexpected twists that rewards attentive listening.
#DualDialect #ConglomerateEP #ExperimentalMusic #JazzElectronica #MeanjinMusic #Saxophone #GlitchMusic #AmbientJazz #ElectronicMusic #MusicReview #NewMusic2025 #IndieMusic #Soundscape #MusicInnovation #DIYMusic #MelancholicMusic #MusicExploration #TechnoJazz #MusicArtistry #MusicPromotion
