B-Side Guys

Grief possesses its own temporal physics—hours collapse into seconds while seconds stretch toward infinity, creating suspended states where normal emotional rules cease to apply. Brooklyn-based project Ded En has captured this disorienting experience across five tracks of crushing beauty on debut EP “The Gala,” transforming personal loss into sonic document that breathes with the rhythms of mourning itself.

Released May 23rd, this 24-minute collection merges doom metal’s crushing weight with shoegaze’s textural haze and industrial music’s mechanical precision, creating what one listener aptly described as “the end of the world… I like it.” The description proves more accurate than hyperbolic—these songs occupy apocalyptic headspace where traditional genre boundaries dissolve under emotional pressure.

Opening track “March” establishes the EP’s instrumental foundation through minimalist approach that prioritizes atmosphere over conventional song structure. The track’s nearly three-minute runtime allows ideas to develop organically rather than rushing toward resolution, demonstrating Ded En’s understanding that meaningful emotional processing requires time and space. Layered bass and drum machine loops create rhythmic foundation while tactile amp modeling adds textural complexity that rewards close listening.

“Firecracker” follows with the collection’s most expansive statement, its nearly seven-minute runtime providing space for the kind of slow-building intensity that defines great slowcore. The lyrics—”firecracker underwater / still it goes off even louder”—establish the EP’s central metaphor for emotions that persist despite attempts at suppression. Guest guitarist NONECK’s contributions here add melodic counterpoint to the track’s crushing low-end, creating dynamic tension that prevents the song from collapsing under its own weight.

The track’s exploration of trauma and recovery through aquatic imagery gains additional resonance when considered alongside the EP’s overall themes of submersion and emergence. When the narrator sings “got my voice back now i use it / even louder,” it becomes declaration of artistic intent rather than mere lyrical flourish—this music functions as therapeutic process made audible.

“Cousin” provides the EP’s most narrative-driven moment, its specific details about family gatherings and Phish concerts grounding abstract emotional states in concrete memory. The lyrics’ stream-of-consciousness approach—”that night was a blur / i think you were in the backseat / next to aunt cindy”—captures how grief distorts recollection, making even recent events feel simultaneously distant and immediate. The production here demonstrates particular sensitivity to vocal placement, allowing words to emerge from the instrumental mix like half-remembered conversations.

“Voice Back” explores themes of recovery and agency through repetitive structure that mirrors therapeutic mantras. Guest vocalist NONECK’s contribution creates dialogue between perspectives, suggesting that healing often requires external voices when internal ones fail. The track’s minimal lyrics—”i just got my voice back / pulled it from the vacuum / what to say”—acknowledge that regaining ability to communicate doesn’t automatically provide clarity about what deserves expression.

Closing track “The Gala” transforms the EP’s grief-focused material into something approaching celebration, though celebration filtered through layers of distortion and delay that prevent simple catharsis. The repeated refrain “we’ll hold the greatest gala ever known” suggests defiant joy in the face of loss, while lines like “fuck the met their fancy clothes” position authentic emotion against institutional artifice. The track’s build toward climactic release provides satisfying conclusion while maintaining the collection’s commitment to emotional complexity.

Throughout the EP, Ded En demonstrates remarkable restraint for music operating at such intense emotional and sonic registers. Rather than overwhelming listeners through constant bombardment, the arrangements breathe and develop according to internal logic that prioritizes impact over mere volume. This approach explains reactions like “I love the buzz guitars… and how it’s not reverbed like crazy so everything is actually able to be heard”—the production serves emotional content rather than obscuring it through excessive processing.

The EP’s merging of shoegaze, industrial, doom, and slowcore elements creates unique sonic signature that avoids simple genre pastiche. While influences like Planning for Burial, Have A Nice Life, and Swans remain audible, Ded En transforms these reference points into something distinctly personal. The result achieves what one listener described as “conceptually cool”—music that operates according to its own aesthetic logic rather than conforming to external expectations.

For debut release, “The Gala” demonstrates remarkable artistic maturity and emotional honesty. Ded En has created something that functions both as personal catharsis and universal communication, proving that the most effective way to address specific loss often involves expanding rather than contracting musical possibilities. Future releases from this project promise continued exploration of emotional territory that most artists avoid, suggesting artistic trajectory worth following closely.

The EP stands as compelling argument that heavy music’s therapeutic potential remains largely untapped, offering roadmap for artists seeking to transform personal darkness into collective illumination.