KXSC Radio: D33J balances the four elements in Death Valley Oasis

Humans are naturally inclined to see ourselves and our environment as being balanced on elemental axes and Los Angeles-based electronic music producer D33J is no exception. The legendary Greek philosopher Aristotle posited that all matter in the universe is composed of four elements — earth, water, fire and air — that held each other in balance and appeared in everything in the perceivable world. This set of beliefs became the basis for the development of alchemy, a field of “proto-chemistry” primarily focused on transmogrifying metals into gold. If there were ever a modern sonic equivalent of an alchemical master, as someone who transforms polar styles of music into sonic gold, the title would certainly go to D33J in his debut album, Death Valley Oasis.

Even before assembling his debut album, D33J had already made his mark on Los Angeles. Best known for being a member of the Wedidit Collective (alongside such figures as Ryan Hemsworth and frequent collaborator Shlomo), he has had a flurry of activity both within and outside the collective. With Wedidit, he helps to creatively manage the group’s label as well as their output, taking a prominent position on RIPFM, the group’s NTS Radio show, and their touring “DJ Team” alongside Nick Melons. Apart from Wedidit, D33J co-produced Corbin’s recent dark R&B project Mourn alongside Shlomo and toured nationally in support of the album. He even closed Boiler Room’s Rail Up party in Los Angeles, displaying his support for and extensive knowledge of Caribbean, South American and pan-African dance music. He is a true “avatar” of Los Angeles, incorporating and seamlessly mixing different elemental styles to create his own golden output.

As I was reading into the details of his new debut album Death Valley Oasis, I couldn’t help but notice the parallels that this album has to that aforementioned elemental layout. Taking some symbolic liberty with the track titles, I managed to cleanly cut the record into elemental quadrants.

The “air” quadrant of this album starts with the track “Ascent,” and spaces out the middle of the record with “Static Sky.”  “Ascent” is warm and uplifting, sprinkled with layered choral voices and a twinkling piano line, which slowly builds intensity before its synths fade into the aether. “Static Sky” functions well as an intermezzo, almost reminiscent of a broken transmission, broadcasted with an ethereal synth and bird calls.

The “water” collection of songs on Death Valley Oasis all seem to evoke feelings of coolness and calmness. “Endless Fall” takes on the properties of a waterfall, opening with a descending guitar line before sinking into rhythmic basslines and snares. “Dead Sea” is the most lifeless track of the album, echoing its title, as it pulsates with dark, re-animated synths and a bassline reminiscent of dub garage. Surprisingly, “Black Ice” is nowhere near as cold as “Dead Sea” as it features prominent use of D33J’s vocal talent imposed over a frozen and meditative beat.

“Spark” and “Scattered Ashes” make up the prominent “fire” quadrant, and both are as explosive and energetic as listeners would expect of the category. The album is made whole in its “earth” portion, which features collaborations from fellow Wedidit Collective affiliates Baths, Shlomo and Corbin. These tracks are marked by organic and wispy vocals laid over strong and undulating backing tracks, showcasing the best of each singer’s ability. “Wisp” and “Plateau” mesh well with Baths’ and D33J’s floaty R&B styles, while “Rot” showcases a traditionally dark and mournful Corbin over a comparably stark and sparse production.

In a Pigeons & Planes interview, D33J summarized his album in these three words: “Earth. Water. Fire.” He was allowed only three words to describe his album, but I have an inkling he would have said “air” if allowed a fourth.

Sean Morgenthaler is a junior majoring in computer science. He is also the music director of KXSC Radio. The rotating guest column, “KXSC Radio,” runs Thursdays.