Dafino

Dafino was voted "Best New Artist of 2004" at the 2004 Madison Area Music Awards held in March of 2005. They were also nominated for "Best Metal/Hard Rock Artist"



"Dafino drops a three-song disk called Early Episodes which touches on the kind of swirly prog that could appeal to fans of Tool and Linkin Park."

'The Onion' Volume 41 issue 08. 24 February-2 March 2005.



Dafino was featured on the WJJO local stage in Madison Wisconsin.

"[Dafino] put on a really cool, interesting, live show"

-Kurt Baron, WJJO, Watertown-Madison


Dafino was interviewed for On The Edge, a student publication at Edgewood College.

"Dafino is fun for the whole family, especially if that family enjoys a little acid with their beethoven."

-Ben Deline, On The Edge Magazine for Edgewood College - Various

Rick’s Café
October 2005 Volume3 # 10
Dafino
Deus est Nullus ex Machina
2005 Self-Released
Style: Art Rock


Dafino Took home the MAMA last March for Best New Band and if sheer moxie were rewarded there is little doubt they’d be in the running for most ambitious debut by a Madison band. A long time in the making this is a concept album playing continuously over forty-five minuets and seventeen tracks. It was recorded and produced by the band in Chilton Wisconsin and appears to be largely conceptualized by vocalist/keyboardist Quinn Kiesow, the story being credited to him.
Deus est Nullus ex Machina is an adolescent coming of age story that is somewhat hard to follow. The nameless protagonist escapes into an inner world dominated by his dream visions. The catalyst for this transformation is headphones and the music that spells out the world for him. Besides the headphones there is another guidepost in the visions: a radio tower that somehow gives him the ability to remain in his dreams in a more conscious state. It’s a heavy theme and the music is just as moody and heavy. Spoken, rhythmic dialog is scattered throughout lending exposition to the tale, but it’s difficult to draw any conclusion.
The disc is divided into three acts: a prologue of sorts, a sleep/dream stage, and an awake/realization stage. The songs are separate by instrumental passages, random bits of electronic improvisation, or more spoken parts which, frankly, the album and the story could have done without, as they lend very little information to the proceedings. The packaging is quite artistic with the minimalist drawings of guitarist Andrew Muenchow decorating the slipcase and insert, and complementing the tone of the story.
Dafino are at their best when they drop the melodrama and pretension and just rock. Their songs follow a formula through much of the first two acts: Jane’s Addiction type angular dissonance in the verses with more melodic modern rock choruses. Often the verses are speak/sing and the choruses are sung with lush harmonies and thick melody. It’s not until track fifteen “Waking Up” that they blow the formula away. “Waking Up” begins with a lovely piano figure and then establishes a groove and unique identity before blasting into glorious staccato bursts of metal. The finish the album off with an excellent orchestral instrumental called “The Final Curtain” that features Biff Blumfumgagnge on viola and violin, Emily Selek on cello, and Meghan McDonnell on flute. It’s a powerful rock orchestra that brings King Crimson circa Lark’s Tongue in Aspic to mind. The instrumental middle section of “Less Myself” is powerful and moving while “Never” and “Louder” have memorable melodies that will stick in your head.
Deus est Nullus ex Machina is an exercise in psychedelic, expansive rock that seems to buck the trend, which is definitely not toward concept albums but more towards shorter extended plays that refresh the listener every few months rather than once a year or so. The story gets a little, weird, too, with the kid dreaming his ears have turned into speakers, then awakening to find his ears have actually turned into speakers. In a way it makes for a dark comic book, with teachers melting and other exploding into flames while the world marches on in time to the music in this boy’s headphones.
Take away the fantasy and there is some very innovative rock/metal music happening here. The drumming by Jon Olszowy is excellent throughout powering through the intense passes while adding spacey flourishes to the spacey interludes. The vocals are well done with ample multiple harmonies. Dafino obviously wanted to make a grand statement with their debut and they have. Perhaps now that they have gotten that out of their systems they can focus on letting the music do more of the talking, something at which they are sure to excel.
-Rick Tvedt

- Rick's Cafe