Daedelus - Righteous Fists of Harmony

According to Brainfeeder head Flying Lotus, Alfred Darlington aka Daedelus was one of the first figures he met on the LA music scene and a great inspiration. It's only logical that the new Daedalus mini-album will get released on the Brainfeeder label.

The Righteous Fists of Harmony were a secret society of warriors, called “Boxers” by the British, who believed they could “perform extraordinary feats, such as flight, and could become immune to swords and bullets.” Their attempt to purify China from foreign influences in the so-called Boxer Uprising (1899-1901) was eventually squashed by the military forces of the Eight-Nation Alliance which occupied their motherland at the time.

Daedelus, known for his fascination with the Victorian era and its costumes, picks up this theme for his album to create a surreal soundtrack to these historic events. He imagines the events from the idealistic perspective of the Boxers, creating dreamlike soundscapes filled with soft acoustic guitars and melancholic strings.

While mostly instrumental, some of the tracks feature seductive vocals, like the samba-esque “Order Of The Golden Dawn” with Darlington's wife Laura. Or “Succumbing Me”, a track that might as well be taken from one of Björk's earlier albums.01. An Armada Approaches
02. Tidal Waves Uprising
03. The Open Hand Avows
04. Order Of The Golden Dawn
05. The Finishing of a Thing
06. Succumbing To
07. Stampede Me
08. Fin De Siécle

As with most concept albums, the result is very consistent and that's what makes Righteous Fists the best work from Daedelus I've come across. Running for only 26 minutes, it leaves you with the wish for more - like a pleasant nap on a summer day.

Righteous Fists will be available on vinyl and digital formats from March 23 on, you can pre-order it from places like Rush Hour or Juno.

You can still download the track Order Of The Golden Dawn for free, there is also a video for Fin De Siécle.