Wow. Luxembourg’s Quantum Dot have blown me away with their brand new EP, Random Causalities and made me fan of Thorunn Egilsdottir‘s (When ‘Airy Met Fairy) voice.
Quantum Dot are music producers, Lionel Jeusette and Patrick Ribeiro, who have taken their love of experimenting with real instruments, digitally reworking their sound, and mixing it with electronic instruments to create a style that sits on the fine line of electronica pop.
Electronica nor pop or a combo of the two are my usual music go to, but I’m here for Quantum Dot is giving me. It’s captivating and enthralling.
Random Causalities is a mere amuse-bouche of Quantum Dot, and that’s my only complaint about it. It’s a 6 song EP and not a full blown album. But having said this, I can also see how these 6 songs could be a capsule collection of a moment.
Opening Random Causalities is the catchy “Fast Forward”. Thorunn’s voice is effortless and dreamy with the strings on the song, but it’s the infectious thump of the bass line that one cannot help to bop along to.
In “Breaking Bones”, Thorunn’s delicate effervescent voice is the yin to the yang of the violence of the lyrics. When I first listened, I was kind of blown away at how sweetly she sounded as she sang, “this is the sound you’ll hear when I’m breaking bones”. It’s the contrast of the lyrics to vocals that make this song the stand out track for me. The music only adds to the underlying violence of what happens when you break a woman’s heart. There is a quiet brutality to this song that just sticks with the listener.
After the intensity of “Breaking Bones”, one needs the delicate “Okay”. It’s quiet, swelling, and beautiful. The band says this of the song,
Moments come and go and nothing is permanent. Whoever we are, whatever we do, we must live in the present moment.
Thorunn’s voice is the key into making the lyrics of “Riverbed Sleep” heartbreaking. She dances on the edge of heartache and haunting, delicately weaving a web that snares the listener into the story of lovers who had to part ways.
I feel that an acoustic performance of a song showcases the true talent of an artist or band, and while “Clean” is not acoustic, the simple and clean beats and vocals allow the talents of Quantum Dot and Thorunn to shine bright with no over the top mechanism required.
Rounding out Random Causalities is the boppy “Killerlove”. This track leans more towards electronica with a bubbly beat that you just want to dance to.
With Random Causalities, Quantum Dot has the listener pivoting on emotion after emotion but it’s a joyride to be on. I’m so glad this EP hit my radar. It’s a solid jam from start to finish.
Favourite Track: “Breaking Bones”
Must Listen Track: “Breaking Bones” and “Clean”
