A.R.D - hiding in trees

​A.R.D

hiding in trees
self-released; 2016

4.1 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Jamie Robash
​

The world has known many tragic rulers throughout the ages whose barbaric egotism has contributed to suffering and deaths of innumerable souls since the beginning of history. Yet many of these hideous and murderously oppressive rulers have inspired some of the greatest works of art throughout the centuries. Poets, novelists, painters and musicians have always sought refuge in their art, especially during their most oppressive times. 

Though he is Australian, Melbourne multi-instrumentalist Anth Dymke, who records and performs solo under the moniker A.R.D, uses his songs as explorations to find meanings to societies motives in modern times. Dymke’s debut solo record hiding in trees is as he put it, “… a reaction to the banal commentary that modern society affords us at these times infused with a secret love for the textures and soundscapes found in classical music and film scores.” 

Hiding in trees is a bit of a departure from his work in the Melbourne psychedelic indie rock act Pony Face. However the album’s opener, also titled “hiding in trees” with its haunting electronic landscapes of cold synths and darkly emotional vocals in many ways bears a bit of a resemblance to fellow Australian crooner and dark-rocker Nick Cave. This is even more evident on the slow and moody soundscape  “you take it all” a stark line which Dymke repeats coldly with an eye-staring forcefulness.

The politically intoned “New Rome” opens with a symphonic prettiness at first, soft and haunting stringed instruments give a sense of peacefulness. Yet with a well-intended jolt we are shifted into a bongo beaten-synthetically dance-y landscape that explores today’s world leadership choices with a Bowie-esque wit. 

Later Dymke explores more powerfully sonic landscapes on the raucous guitar and synth rocker “flags” on which he intones with the single repetitive yet spot on lyric “keep your flags to yourself.” Things take a bit of shoegazey turn on wide open “heading north” on which Dymke shows off how easily he can shift the mood of a song with the flick of the wrist or the twist of a dial. Dymke returns to Nick Cave territory on the sparse and haunting guitar and chilling noise collage “deathrow.”

​His work on hiding in trees leads me to want to refer to A.R.D as a landscape painter of sound. Though the landscapes wrought on hiding in the trees are not brightly colored with pink and orange skies and dotted with fields of purple and white colored wild flowers. The hues here are dark, and each shadow threatens the next. Even the moon seems a pale yellow ember. hiding in the trees is a barren vision of things past and likely of those to come. 

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