Stray - Abuse by Proxy

I'm not sure if anyone – after having listened to „Abuse by Proxy” - would come up with the idea that Stray is a side-project of Erica Dunham, widely known of Unter Null, which, as you know, ruins ears, chops brains and generally speaking plays no tender nanny serving harsh, uncontrollable electro industrial sounds.



And yet already the first piece of the album - „Kindred Soul” - is gentle, female and highly melodious. Such a tendency is kept throughout the whole album: Erica makes use of electronic sounds, which, however, serve enchanting and not spreading destruction. Such a choice entails presentation of various emotional nuances - from lively to those more introvert and concentrated.

Obviously, the album also contains fine rhythms and a fair dose of carefully proportioned, not particularly fast or harsh beats like in „The Tie That Binds”, „Intoxicate” or „Break Me Free” (stunning, emotional vocal giving thrills!), but surely it's not what Erica made us used to. Everything is cold, but it's not a merciless ice of smashing beat, but rather of crystalline clear melodies and vocals, reverberations and echoes, a bit ephemeral and meditative, hypnotic tones bordering dreams, reality and „neverending story”, or even Badalamenti - though with no exaggeration whatsoever („Fade Into You” , „Does It Really Matter?” or „Sleep As Metaphor”)

Amazing.

Apart from 11 new tracks the album also contains three remixes – rather moderate, featuring an atmosphere which I'd describe as neurotic, abstract and tinged with sullenness – I'd even say it goes into direction of darkness not light, which seems to prevail on the album.

„Abuse by Proxy” proves Erika is a versatile artist who is not afraid of exploring gentler regions of soul and also that a woman who is able to smash the most experienced club fighters may also enfold the listeners with enchanting, delicate and fragile sonic material.