Dep - Dep

- Vancouver, British Columbia - 2011 started off very well for me when on New Years Day, I opened my email and found an update from Dep saying that he just completed his new album, which he made self-titled. It supplied a free download of the entire album. Dep is of the opinion that the music he makes should be given away without charge, which is becoming a common trend among artists these days. After all, it seems that getting the public to buy music is near impossible.

Perhaps I should back up. Danny Peck is an independent electronic artist who goes under the alias Dep. I've been a fan for over a year now. He's got a prolific discography as since 2006 he has released 8 full albums, as well as several live albums and EPs. He floats around the various online social networks and gets his name out there and his music heard. And thankfully, even though he releases such a large collection of music, each album feels different than the last.

Dep - Dep (2011)So, why is he 8 albums in and giving this one a self title? He says that this is the album that really captures who he is. In a sense, I can hear that. I don't know Danny Peck, but this is a very diverse blend of music that flows through many emotional states and sounds well rounded. While many of his other albums felt thematic, this one is just a very rich musical experience. It can be joyful or melancholy, complicated or decidedly simple.

In a lot of ways, Dep is a shining example of what went right with electronic music. For years it was thought to be the easy way out as artists looped simple chords together and slapped on some fancy effects, put the initials DJ in front of their name and called their song a “club hit.” However, over the course of the 2000s, a lot of artists found a lot could be done with electronic music that couldn't be done before, but still wanted to be accepted as legitimate musicians. And for the most part, that has happened. And it's because of albums like this. It's entirely instrumental and still so much depth, character and emotion is put into these compositions and it shows.

Danny Peck is DepDep's self titled albums is one of his best and certainly his most fully realized release. Each track blends skillfully into the next making a very organic experience, where separating the songs would be an injustice. In a sense, he has made an electronic symphony, traveling from movement to movement, ranging from glitchy beats to gentle ambiance. To appreciate the full effect of the album I highly recommend listening to it with headphones. It makes for a good soundtrack to a cool walk home in the evening.

Rating: 4.5/5 Sour Grapes

NB: If you would like to check out Dep's music, he freely offers full length samples at http://dep.fm/.

DF