Whoops, We Did It Live - Dandu (Album Review)
Everybody’s favorite cosmic jazz fusion trio is back with Whoops, We Did It (Live)! For those of you who haven't heard of this Denver-based trio, it is made up of Ben Weirich (keys/synths), Sean Dandurand (Bass), and Dylan Johnson on drums. The group has opened for acts like Mark Guiliana’s Beat Music and they are slated to support the Louis Cole Big Band later this year. They also play shows with Earth Radio every time they come through Michigan. So for full transparency sake, I’m a fan, a friend, and I’m jealous of Ben’s Korg MS2000, which I got to try on our last gig together at Unruly Brewing last year. So you know I’m excited to give you a little insight on their latest release!
Whoops, We Did It (Live) transports the listener to various sonic territories that Dandu tends to occupy with their live shows. “Benson” starts the album on a great note, featuring odd meter grooves colored with spacey sounds and a distorted Rhodes tone that cuts through for some great solos and melodies. “Deja Vu, Once Removed” dials it back, layering a mysterious-sounding ambiance before rocketing forward with distorted keys and driving bass and drums. There is space left for a bass solo, starting off with free time and melting back into a groove before a cool panned, warbling effect back into the melody. “Hips” is a great live tune, with an interesting bass melody accented by synth sounds that are manipulated around the drum groove. It’s fast, it leaves the listener grasping at straws for the beat in spots, but it’s a ride that is enjoyable all the way through. “Post Beef” was dubbed by the band to be their “dance number,” and I can hear the section they’re talking about! It’s a straight groove that keeps a danceable pulse, but the phrasing between the bass drum and the bass guitar play around within this groove still adds that unexpected Dandu flare to an otherwise familiar beat. It’s got a fun syncopated groove that is first teased before the keyboard solo and then brought back and looped for the drum solo, ending the album on an awesome build up.
This live record is a perfect way to capture this band’s sound and emphasize how tight and talented they are together as a unit. Each member almost dares the other to stay on track as meters shift, keys modulate, time suspends, and grooves wobble and drive. The delight in their creativity shines through their compositions, born out of some crossroad between J Dilla and a chiptune video game soundtrack. It’s colorful, playful, an analog/digital hybrid sound, and a roller coaster of a ride that you can’t help but enjoy throughout the release.
Album Credits:
Ben Weirich - keys and synths
Dylan Johnson - drums
Sean Dandurand - bass guitar
Recorded at Evergroove Studio
Mixing: Carmine Gabbianelli
Mastering: Nate Wood
Additional Production: Grant Stringham
Artwork: Ben Weirich
Lettering: Ainslie O'Neil
Website: https://www.dandumusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dandumusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dandumusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dandumusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/dandu32
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/41O4rXI11SIfRod1TkdRiz
Bandcamp: https://dandu.bandcamp.com/
