The genre-blurring ‘Sunshine/Dialogue’ is the fourth full-length album from Australian producer Dan Webb. Straddling a mammoth four-year period, this ambitious project draws inspiration from Webb’s interviews with an array of artists—ranging from Grammy award winners to Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famers, and even up-and-coming indie hopefuls.
The twelve-track record is a testament to Webb’s wildly imaginative and experimental approach to music production. Each piece on the album serves as a unique manifestation of a specific conversation, resulting in a genre-bending soundscape that defies categorization. Of all the artists Webb conversed with, Greg Saunier of Deerhoof left an indelible impact, so much so that Saunier’s philosophical musings find themselves directly sampled on the album’s emotional centerpiece, ‘A Good Song’.
On ‘A Good Song,’ Saunier’s voice lays over an expansive instrumental backdrop: “When the definition of a good song becomes a proscription, it’s completely useless,” he declares, challenging the listener to deconstruct their preconceptions about music. His theory proposes that “a good song” should be fluid and undefinable, open to all interpretations, all voices, all sounds that have yet to be heard. Webb takes this concept and weaves it into his work, achieving an album that maintains a remarkable pop appeal despite its unorthodox, avant-garde leanings.
Webb’s dedication to pushing boundaries becomes evident in the wide array of styles that manifest in ‘Sunshine/Dialogue.’ This eclectic quality is the result of a career spanning 15 years and countless hours spent recording and refining hundreds of demos and ideas. The journey has allowed Webb to become a craftsman of sound, adept at assembling sonic jigsaw puzzles of complementary and contrasting pieces.
From ‘electro-jazz’ to ‘psych-rock,’ many attempts have been made to define Webb’s music. However, these labels only brush the surface of the sonic adventure that Webb embarks on with ‘Sunshine/Dialogue.’ The album is an audial testament to the beauty of genre-less music; an exploration of the boundless potential that comes with letting the music dictate its own identity.
The track ‘Sungenre’ captures this essence perfectly. It appears as a kind of meta-dialogue, a nod to Webb’s creative process with Johnny Rock, another collaborator. It serves as a playful reminder that the album you’re experiencing is born from a series of genuine, impactful conversations and collaborations.
The lyrically sparse album relies heavily on its instrumentals to tell its story. Yet, when Webb does employ words, they carry a considerable emotional weight. For example, in ‘Back To You,’ Webb articulates a universal human sentiment: the struggle of longing and the relentless quest to return to someone who has captured your heart. The lyrics: “Can’t for the life of me concentrate on anything in the room, I gotta find a way to get myself back to you,” showcase Webb’s knack for crafting emotionally resonant narrative vignettes, further expanding the album’s emotional landscape.
Despite its eclectic and experimental nature, ‘Sunshine/Dialogue’ is surprisingly approachable. Its combination of spoken-word samples, layered instrumentals, and occasional lyrics offers an immersive experience, allowing listeners to reflect on what music means to them. At the same time, it nudges them to discover the “good” in songs they may have proscribed before.
As Saunier implies in ‘A Good Song,’ music’s real test is in how it makes you feel, and ‘Sunshine/Dialogue’ passes this test with flying colors. It provides a sonic experience that is singularly unique, while at the same time provoking a range of emotional responses. It makes you feel a way no record has before.
With ‘Sunshine/Dialogue,’ Dan Webb has concocted a genre-defying, convention-challenging, and utterly unique musical journey. The album not only showcases his exceptional talent as a producer but also shines a light on the power of conversation and collaboration in the creative process. It serves as a reminder that music is not about neat categorizations, but the ability to evoke emotion and provoke thought. And that, indeed, is a ‘Good Song.’