Datus

According to their MySpace, Datus are ezer longinus, trevor williams, rachele trotter, and rebecca roulette from Brooklyn, NY. Check out the fantastic songs streaming there, and the three EPs (Masc, Fem & Neut) they have streaming up on their regular website too. (under 'media').

Catch them live tonight (1/18) at Bruar Falls (in Brooklyn). They're on the same free bill as Nerve City. - Brooklyn Vegan

Datus, a four-piece project based out of Brooklyn, dropped three new EP’s on WMUA this week, and since their arrival in my possession, they’ve not left my “Now Playing” list for even a second.

Each disc has its own particular feel to it. The fuzzed-out, effected basslines on ”Ipsum” and the gnarly, distorted, instrumental duet on “Stavrogin” exude the power that becomes a defining characteristic of Masc. Fem features the voices of the female members of the group prominently, and at times the EP feels almost like a lost Portishead record.

While Masc and Fem might be a bit easy to place due to their titles, Neut is a bit tougher to pin down. I think the best I can do in describing it is to tell you that it’s weirder. My favorite cut on this disc, “Ice Haven,” contains a sort of droning texture, and some crunchy sax, two things of which I’ve grown quite fond. The first two tracks are out, but the last two are much easier to handle … this one’s got range.

You can find all three EP’s streaming right at Datus’ website, so I don’t know why you’re not there right now. - An Uncontrollable Urge

Hey Playtonics,

Last week I introduced you to the Brooklyn-based band Datus. Since then I have had a chance to extensively listen to their series of EPs, Masc, Fem, and Neut, and correspond with band members Ezer ”Fancy Pants” Longinus and Trevor “Care Bear” Williams (as Datus’ Facebook page jokingly refers to them as). This week I will post both my review of Datus’ three EPs as well as the Q&A I had with Ezer and Trevor in a segment I like to call “Getting to Know You.” First up, my review of Datus’ Masc, Fem, and Neut.

When I initially heard Masc, I was struck by the commanding drumming on the opening track “The Return.” The song drew me in and reminded me of the band Battles’ industrial rock sound. Datus’ music similarly draws on electronic components and shifting dynamics to create complex and thought-provoking soundscapes. On the second track “Ipsum”, a guitar riff and soft vocals give way to a swell of banjo, drums, and electronic accompaniment. In this way, Datus keeps the listener interested and attentive. One element I particularly enjoyed was the careful and inventive production on Masc. While I can imagine that Datus is excellent live, their music is particularly suited for headphones, due to the use of panning and manipulation of sound space.

On their second EP, Fem, the listener is introduced to the two female members of the group, Rebecca “Busy Body” Roulette and
Rachele “Tuhauttou” Trotter (again, nicknames listed on their Facebook page). Rebecca Roulette is listed as providing vocals for the first two tracks, “Gibbons” and “Roof Walker.” The latter song features frenzied guitar parts matched with one of the bands more audible choruses, proclaiming “I’m on a roof” and “I am running on tar & sand.” “M-Life”, the third and only instrumental track on the EP, is a vibrato heavy transition into Fem’s catchy and mysterious closing track, “Split Object.” The sampled “oo’s” and melodic vocals on top of a slowly building music progression remind of Radiohead’s “Exit Music (For a Film).”

The final EP Neut feels like an amalgamation of the previous to EPs. The varied instrumentation of Masc is met with the expanded melodic character of Fem producing some of the most interesting Datus songs. “Larva” begins softly but ultimately builds to a fantastic climactic finish. “Precious Sun”, the last track, is my favorite of all Datus’ songs. After a dramatic, hard rock flavored beginning that closes with the lyrics “wake me up so I can see”, the song opens up into a warm, acoustic guitar and banjo based finish.

The brightness and hopefulness of the EP’s finish reflects the future of this promising new band. At their best, Datus creates inventive and challenging music that defies labeling and demands listening. While there are components of experimental, progressive rock, and post-rock, these genres don’t seem to capture the spirit of the band when their talents and strengths meet. The drumming on all the EPs is superb and collectively they seem to really mesh. My only qualm with their music is that the vocals tend to get buried in the mix to the point where the lyrics are inaudible. I prefer instrumentation over vocals so this does not bother me too much though it may annoy some listeners. I highly recommend going to Datus’ website and streaming their EPs. - Playtonic Dialogues

Datus, an emerging Brooklyn-based band, followed with a rhythmically intense performance that pushed the show toward its headliner. Ezre Longinus, formerly of Apse, has vicious drumming with fills that literally deconstructed his cymbal and shattered his drum sticks. Though Datus’ set lacked cohesion, songs like “Roof Walker” proved their original material to be engaging and inventive. - Bowery Presents