Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa has been described as psych, trance, punk, and experimental, among other signifiers. It's a sound that's hard to pin down, drawing from an extensive pool of influences to create something that feels audacious and yet remarkably cohesive. Formerly of the group Old Time Relijun, De Dionyso sings in both English and Indonesian. A peculiar choice considering his Olympia, Washington roots, but then there's not much about his music that isn't.
With Open the Crown, De Dionyso explores ideas of consciousness, interconnectedness, rebirth and destruction. It's an album that's as conceptual as it is disorienting, employing philosophical musings and irregular time signatures. De Dionyso howls and growls over rhythmic grooves and punchy bass lines, his voice becoming just another instrument amidst the din of horns, percussion and guitars.
Out tomorrow on K Records, we present to you Malaikat dan Singa's Open the Crown.
