Introduction to Docetism: Trees & Saints

There seems to be a churning energy happening all over the underground music scene currently, and in an interesting way it all seems to be tied into impressively large projects! Here we have presented by polish Ambient/Dub label Nichts 2-20 track collections of Docetism tracks from the past 7 years. DAUNTING?! A little bit, but it’s equally as delicious and delightful.

Docetism – who has released projects across some of my favorite labels in the past (Silent Season, Rohs! Records) is no stranger to the dub techno scene, boasting a sprawling catalog of full lengths, EP’s and singles. It’s no wonder long time label partner Nichts would aim to give listeners a crash course per-say. As stated on the releases bandcamp page, for a new listener it’s “A good place to start”.

The sounds themselves are pure dub-techno bliss. Docetism presents a distinct voice and flavor however, often utilizing much more movement in chords and progressions than others working in the genre. Raw musicality blends perfectly with the subtle palette of sounds and instrumentation, especially on tracks like Hedera Helix [Golden Bough] or Requiem [Armenia].

Tracks leap in and out of textural ambient and modern classical ideas, all very much welcome in context, eventually leading the listener back to a healthy groove. Out of the two collections I would say I have listened to “Trees” more, but there is plenty of quality to be found in both albums. The kicker? Nichts is offering these both at name-your-own-price, so if you want a nice place to start your dub-techno collection look no futher!