Anoesis is the state of mind consisting of pure sensation or emotion without cognitive content. In psychology, a theoretical condition in which there is feeling without understanding. Dedicated & inspired by my conditions living on the autism spectrum and the existential nature itself.
On “Amorphous” by the McAllen, Texas based ambient artist, City of Dawn focuses their attention to clean guitar lines fluttering through the glorious haze of a deep ambient backbone. The theme that City of Dawn explores on “Amorphous” is the constant change and flux of life and the impossibility of being one person forever. Everything coming into contact changes us and we change it. We can never step in the same river twice. These are concepts that City of Dawn offers a broad canvas for us to explore with this beautiful ambient-drone composition.
The definition of Anoesis is this: “The state of mind consisting of pure sensation or emotion without cognitive content. In psychology, a theoretical condition in which there is feeling without understanding.” The album is also inspired by Damien Duque’s experience of “conditions living on the autism spectrum and the existential nature itself.” Using heavily effected guitar lines, City Of Dawn builds halls of existential noise; cavernous sound walls that pull the listener in to explore unexplained feelings and unplug from the noise of the world.
Over the course of 12 slow-moving songs, City Of Dawn pulls you into their world. Songs like “Amorphous”, “Landforms”, and “Meadows and the Sea” build slowly in front of the listener, sharing a kind of sonic warmth that invites one to come inside and sit awhile. Artists like Future Museums, Shortwave Broadcaster, and Jonas Munk are each doing their share to bring ambient/new age music in the forefront of moderin electronic music, and City Of Dawn is doing their part as well.
You can tell this is a very personal musical journey for Damien Duque. Though the songs seem to become whatever the listener needs the work here has a deep meaning to City Of Dawn. Songs like “Whispers Aross The Sea”, “A Soft Lament”, or the album closer “For My Parents” all emanate emotional heft and a connectivity that goes beyond improvisatonal electronics. It all means something. It may mean something different to the creator as it does to the listener, but it pulls from life experience. And that matters.
City Of Dawn’s Anoesis continues Damien Duque’s musical journey in a significant and meaningful way. It’s sonic healing for heavy times.
Written, recorded & produced by Damien Duque
Vocals textures on “Inland” by Leslie Duque
Mastered at SDS Studio (WA) by Drew Sullivan
Cover image taken with Polaroid Onestep 600 by Damien Duque
More ambient wizardry by zakè and City Of Dawn. I already had the CD version, but this [redux] "diversion" is a must (😸 at least, for me!)… ✨ The Sand Traveler
Minimalist compositions that take their time unfolding, bands of sound melting glacier-like from one end of the song to the other. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 6, 2023