DavidR XV: P R E S S

Le Funeral Lounge Review.

DavidR XV seemingly comes from nowhere with the album Le Funeral Lounge, the second release by the obscure prodigy known only as DavidR; recording, mixing, and mastering this wonderful work of technoid IDM and meeting standards well beyond what I’d expect from a self-released artist. From the very beginning there is an uncanny sense of familiarity and comfort. Drifting ambient textures, grooving beats and an overall grasp of what makes a song enjoyable Le Funeral Lounge sounds and feels like a long lost album that I’ve always loved but never heard.

DavidR’s sound is very close to, and I’d venture to say heavily inspired by, early 90’s IDM. Le Funeral Lounge reminds me of Warp/Wax Trax’s Artificial Intelligence series, mixing the jazzed grooves of B-12 with the complexity of early Autechre, atmospheres of Polygon Window, and the perpetuating beats of Black Dog Productions. Le Funeral Lounge is the perfect compliment to this series, and a welcome return to more listener-friendly IDM. In Le Funeral Lounge DavidR manages to pay tribute to the strongest era of IDM while keeping his sound fresh and interesting.

DavidR XV’s Le Funeral Lounge is the perfect IDM sound for anyone. Intricate and layered enough for the smart listener while retaining enough structure for the average ear. Le Funeral Lounge is an excellent album that, unlike many IDM releases I own, plays from start to finish every time I listen to it. If you have the means I strongly suggest adding this to your collection today.

The music of DavidR XV is a refreshing shot of experimental electronica. Now hold on! Just because I mentioned the word "experimental" does not mean it's your usual pretentious bohemian incomprehensible shite. His music is FAR from that filth! Be brave, forget about prejudice.

My favorites from his albums are:

At The Carnival (Le Funeral Lounge) = In the opening notes, ambiance is gradually established. Thirty seconds into the song, a subtle build-up occurs. Before the first minute is over, the beat has entered into the carnivals of your mind. Images of Timothy Hunter from The Books of Magic hovered into my mind from an episode where he visits a carnival from his childhood and he encounters Death of the Endless. The story ends with Death inviting Tim for breakfast over pancakes.


Counter Revolution (Of Scorched Earth) = Mind blowing electronica! The music bounces on the sides of the walls of your skull! Back and forth... nothing like it! o.o


Dark City (Le Funeral Lounge) = This track would be perfect for the Dark City (1998) soundtrack! A down beat with bits of distorted elements. I feel so anacrotech-ish listening to this. Think futuristic 1940s.

Hyper Anesthetic Review:

DavidR XV enters the music scene with hyper-speed electro-beats drenched in synthesized, haunting melodies coupled with a hypnotic bass in his debut album “Hyper Anesthetic.” With some vinyl-scratching thrown in, this album builds a solid foundation of creativity for his later albums to cultivate from.

The first two tracks open with furious digital beats setting the album’s rapid-tempo tone early. The third track continues the trend, but adds in an addicting bass line into the foray.

The fifth track, “Industrial Sized Whips” amalgamates dance with turntable-scratching while the final track “Requiem de Mozart” adds a slow-thumping lament, which caps off the medical-theme album.

All the different influences thrown into the blender make “Hyper Anesthetic” a unique and recommended listening experience.

Le Funeral Lounge Review:

In his second album “Le Funeral Lounge,” DavidR XV uses his signature-style dance beats as stepping stones into an experimental escapade filled with a jazzy vibe. Although the tempo is slower than “Hyper Anesthetic,” both albums sprout from the same imaginative roots.

Songs like “The Lone Gunman” and “Dark City” give the album a 1930s noir attitude by using small doses of horns and piano, but they mostly rely on the rhythm to keep them going.

Other songs like “A Decomposition of Myself” and “At the Carnival” are soothing and almost lighthearted by this artist’s standards. However, the last two songs add a sinister atmospheric mood to the album, which would not seem out of place in an alternate universe where the Chicago-mafia days are set in the future.

Overall, the splash of jazz influence across the album is notable and it serves its purpose well.

Noise Reduction Review:

DavidR XV’s “Noise Reduction” caters to static enthusiasts everywhere by blasting rough ambient sounds in very large doses. An unorthodox album by conventional means, this album will appeal more to a special niche of fans.

Songs such as “Health Code Violation,” “Nothing Matters” and “White Noise Whiplash” are filled with pure static noise while the other songs sound like there’s noisy waves crashing on a beat-infused shore.

The sound in these songs fit along with a futuristic-robot premise and the abstraction alone is worthy of a listen.

This album breaks away from the chains of the previous two albums, thus evolving the artistic sound of DavidR XV yet again.

Le Funeral Lounge Review.

Like the score to an unwritten movie, this latest opus from DavidR XV reveals itself through evocative patterns of light and darkness. Beneath its electronic patina shimmer melodic undercurrents of yearning romanticism, painted in deep, shadowed tones from an intriguing and still-evolving artist.

JPF Music Awards 2006.

"The Lone Gunman" from the album Le Funeral Lounge has won 4th place in the JPF Music Awards in the Techno Song category.