Islands On Tape // Dust Conspiracy
On Dust Conspiracy, Nitzan Dana moves from the psychedelic post-rock of Meuban into the miniature worlds of imaginary film scores. Recording as Islands On Tape, he draws on exotica, library music, and instrumental hip-hop, building three pieces around basslines that seem to carry their own narratives. Recorded across three sessions, the EP brings Farfisa organ, surf guitar, drums, and percussion into arrangements shaped by a beatmaker's ear for repetition. That approach is clearest on the title track, which began with sampled drums before Dana brought in Lotan Yaish of El Khat and Şatellites and percussionist Ron Avidan to rebuild the groove live. A creeping bass figure, swirling organ, and heavy cymbal work give the piece the atmosphere of an unsolved mystery unfolding after dark. “Cellar No. 7” shifts into more languid territory, with warm keyboards and surf guitar recalling the stylized Mediterranean settings of Alessandro Alessandroni and Ennio Morricone. “Speed Run” takes the longest route, layering Turkish-influenced guitar motifs and 12-string textures over a steady rhythmic foundation before opening into a dramatic finale. Dana cites Les Baxter, Sven Wunder, Madlib, and MF DOOM among his inspirations, a combination that makes sense in the way he treats rhythms as both performance and architecture. Each track circles a handful of musical ideas, introducing small changes in texture and intensity that suggest movement through an unseen landscape. Released on Batov Records, Dust Conspiracy makes a convincing introduction to Islands On Tape, a project where the rhythms are as evocative as the melodies.
