Dustin Space - DIVERGENCE EP
Recommended if you like:
ODESZA, Tycho, Ratatat, Pretty Lights
ABOUT
A powerful journey through self-discovery and self-acceptance, DIVERGENCE—the debut EP from Dustin Stern aka Dustin Space, a queer multi-instrumentalist and electronic music producer from Toronto—is a vibrant, emotionally-charged thrill ride.
This EP was created during a period of personal and "spiritual awakening" for Dustin Space. Part of the self-discovery was that they were in fact genderqueer and pansexual, complicated by being in a long-term “heteronormative” relationship, and then the pandemic suddenly reared its ugly head. Dustin's life, like many, was ground to a halt and their mental health began to plummet just as their band Nightshades called it quits.
"I felt atrophied in my queer journey," they say. "I felt lost, afraid, and alone. During that low, I started writing the DIVERGENCE EP. I have always used music as a tool for processing emotions, but never had I had so much emotion and personal growth to process."
Combining bits of funk rock, psychedelia, house, glitch-hop, EDM, and ambient electronica, the DIVERGENCE journey hooks you in immediately with the first track "Edge of Inertia," a jumpy, chill—and then tense atmospheric— beats banger conveying Dustin Space's lead guitar skills.
Next comes "Go On Your Way," a synth-heavy concoction and the only track to feature live drumming from Dustin Space's friend/ musical peer, Jaime Rosenberg the acclaimed Toronto group, After Funk. It's a track ready for the club, but also for blasting out your car windows.
The bass picks up intensity with "Winter Muse," with it's glitch-hop synth lines that feel like the backdrop to a 2D indie video game.
DIVERGENCE ends with "Remembering Again," a rich, feel-good dance electronica opus with tons of light-hearted earworms, about basking in "gender euphoria." It's the perfect ending to this journey of self-discovery.