Debut Release: Beyond These Fields (Dan West)

Beyond These Fields
"Dragon’s Lair / Light Cycle"
Analogue synthscapes and crunchy drums for 80s arcade game lovers

Beyond These Fields is a musical collaboration between instrumentalist, producer and sound designer Dan West (Cookin’ On Three Burners) and drummer Rory McDougall (The Putbacks). Melding vintage analogue synthesizers with live crunchy drums, Beyond These Fields create nostalgically futuristic sounds reminiscent of vintage sci-fi and horror synth soundtracks, inspired by the rush of levelling up on 80s arcade games. Launched initially as an immersive performance for Melbourne Fringe Festival, the duo today announce their debut 7 inch release on new independent label Audible Artefacts.

A-side ‘Dragon’s Lair’ comes out of the gates with anthemic drums and synths, ascending through multiple levels of a digital fantasy world inspired by the Don Bluth arcade game of the same name. Dominated by a Roland Juno 60, a brief bass breakdown builds to a finale that indicates you’ve made it to the next level - game on player! The B-side ‘Light Cycle’ opens with a crackling electronic pulse that gives way to snappy drums and waves of arpeggiated synth that create a dark and dirty world of electronic mayhem before one by one the layers fall away and the track retreats into the darkness from which it came.

Co-creator Dan West says of the project "In Beyond These Fields we are free to create dark and beat driven synthscapes that draw on our love of live interplay between musicians and the subtle parameter morphing of old analogue machines. With nods to Ratatat for their party rock vibes, the Krautrock of Trans Am and the textural composition of Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Rory’s amazing feels pair magically with my vintage synth gear gear, inspiring us to lean into a new way of creating music with it’s own sonic flavour."

"Dragon’s Lair / Light Cycle" is released via Audible Artefacts on Friday 26th November.

Visit Dan West's page