Hailing originally from Byron Bay, Australia and now calling Berlin home, The Dharma Chain unveils their debut album Nowhere, released via Anomic Records. This collection of ten tracks has evolved alongside the band since their formation in 2020. Their music weaves through neo-psychedelia, post-punk, shoegaze, and rock and roll, echoing the vibes of Beak>, Slowdive, EXEC, A Place To Bury Strangers, and Dress Theque. Each song carries a dark allure—sometimes abrasive and apocalyptic, other times tender and soft. It’s a soundscape that captures the fragile balance between chaos and calm.
The writing and recording process for the album was also a journey in itself, with The Dharma Chain originally setting out to record the album in an abandoned church in the Gold Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Australia: “We brought all our own recording equipment and turned this big beautiful space into a makeshift recording studio for a precious week, during which time we wrote and recorded something like ten new tracks.”
The band soon decided to pack up and relocate to Berlin, pouring their hearts into their music. Once The Dharma Chain set foot in Europe and began performing live, Anomic Records quickly took notice. Their time in Berlin, with its exciting music scene and inspiring cityscapes, spurred a creative renaissance. The city’s pulse infused their work, leading to a fresh sound and vision. Embracing this newfound inspiration, they retreated to a basement studio in eastern Berlin, braving the winter chill—a stark contrast to the sunny hills of the Gold Coast. There, amid the frost and echoes, their new material took shape.
“The album could just as easily be called ‘Everywhere‘ as ‘Nowhere,’ says the band. “It’s that duality, that life/death, happy/sad, love/hate, us/them complexity at the core of the human experience. It’s about facing these changes, the inevitable and often brutal march of time, with some kind of peace and acceptance. Breathing in and then breathing out.”
Timelessness ushers in the album with a languid, droning chant that gradually ascends into a soaring chorus of guitars, evoking the spirits of Kula Shaker, The Dandy Warhols, and The Jesus and Mary Chain. It’s a hauntingly beautiful opening, setting the stage with a sense of dreamy urgency, pulling listeners into a world where time feels deliciously suspended. The track unfolds like a spell, weaving together influences and creating a hypnotic blend that feels both familiar and otherworldly.
Watch a live version of Timelessness below:
2.56 is a serenade to the intricate web of lust, capturing emotions that slice through your heart like a shiv through butter: smooth, yet deadly. It speaks the language of the damned and the desperate, souls entwined in a dance too complex to untangle. Each step is a gamble on the razor’s edge of desire, a perilous waltz where the stakes are high, and the rewards are fleeting. It’s a song that delves into the dark, seductive corners of human longing, exploring the fragile line between pleasure and pain.
Watch the video below:
YSHK begins with intriguing, spacey sirens, quickly transitioning into a brisk backbeat that underscores the menacing guitar chords. The track carries a dark surf vibe, with whispering vocals that maintain an air of suspense – like stepping into a noir film set in Berlin’s nightlife, where the familiar sounds of surf rock are twisted into something eerie and thrilling. Greenlight swirls into existence with an eerie swoop, ushered in by hi-hat cymbals that tap out a peculiar backbeat. The minor chords resonate with a sense of creeping dread, casting a haunting spell over the track. It conjures a sound reminiscent of Midnight Juggernauts, blending the uncanny with the compelling.
Standout track Her Head begins with a gentle guitar and ethereal female vocals, weaving a delicate spell. The song then layers in a distorted guitar, creating a haunting contrast to the sweetly crooned poetry before exploding into a swelling chorus. It’s a blend of the soft and the surreal, inviting listeners into a dreamlike state where melodies drift like whispers on the wind. His Head grounds us with a primal sound, featuring a droning guitar and psychedelic lyrics. It draws us into a raw, earthbound realm where the music hums with an ancient, almost mystical energy.
Riders begins with a rumble, bluesy guitars echoing over a creepy bassline. Female vocals add a dreamy touch to the eerie mood, until a pulsing synth shifts the atmosphere into retrofuturism. The vocals transform into whispered spoken word, blending the strange with the nostalgic – think Lee Hazlewood meets Debbie Harry. Next comes Clockwork, starting with an ominous organ riff that shifts into a plodding, buzzing synth over a hypnotic backbeat. It’s like a metronome from a dark realm, accompanied by minor chord guitars in a Middle-Eastern tinged duet. The result is an eerie, entrancing piece that feels both ancient and unsettlingly modern.
Somewhere shifts gears with a gentle, echoing guitar opening, evoking a sense of wistful dreaming. It’s like a whisper carried on a zephyr, featuring beautiful guitar work complemented by celestial vocals. The track feels like a delicate lullaby, drifting through the ether with a serene and haunting grace. We end the album with When We Disappear, which begins with a jangly acoustic guitar, paving the way for echoing vocals that feel like transmissions from a distant star and Indian-inspired guitar licks. The song evokes a sense of cosmic loneliness, as if reaching out across the void, blending the familiar with the otherworldly in a hauntingly beautiful manner.
Listen to Nowhere below or order here.
The Dharma Chain – Nowhere by The Dharma Chain
Having shared billings with renowned names such as Mildlife and Nice Biscuit, The Dharma Chain’s appetite is set on larger stages and audiences.
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