REVIEW: DIMITRI – Probably a Metaphor

Something exciting is happening on the local synth scene as we head into the New Year. The enigmatic DIMITRI recently released a six-track album of electronic music to set the pulse racing for anyone interested in the kind of music Sheffield is famous for. Fittingly, it was mastered in Dean Honer’s Bowling Green Studios, located in Nether Edge – a place where many an innovative piece of music has been forged. DIMITRI, a former local nightclub owner we’re told, must have imbibed the electronic sounds of Sheffield dancefloors across the decades.

Two of my favorite tunes on the record are the openers. The first is the title track, ‘Probably A Metaphor,’ with its hypnotic drums and deadpan vocals, all the while accompanied by spinning synth lines. It lies somewhere in the space between Kraftwerk and the Human League. This is followed by what could be a great club dance track, ‘My Blessed Device.’ The last track on the album, ‘Yes To An Antique Ghost Reading,’ is the one I found myself playing on repeat the most. It is an instrumental, built out of electronic sounds, with an underlying treated vocal input. While totally original, it wouldn’t have sounded out of place on an early Warp Records release, from the days when they started here in 1989. It manages to pull off the trick of being retro and futuristic all at once.

The whole album bristles with immersive sounds and beats, and is released on the excellent Doitthissen record label, which is based in Sheffield and releases a fabulous range of local music. Check out their website for this and other local gems. MP