DevaNexus - Morrigan

When last I met DevaNexus it was on a middling field of synthwave / darksynth production as the artist failed to establish a dedicated identity for himself and instead leaned into what everyone else is doing in the darksynth field. And, don’t get me wrong; those beat provided a decent time as background noise for physical activity or household chores, but on a listening scale it was just the same. Nothing grabbed my attention. However, DevaNexus is coming back to the world reformed and reshaped into something new. Rather than leaning into overtly cyberpunk themes, the musician is now focusing his efforts on blending darksynth with Celtic culture and mythology. As such he has released his brand-new single ‘Morrigan’ which explores these themes.

And, well, the result is pretty good! An opening sample sets the tone as someone prays to some deity or another to guide them through the dark. Crows beckon out as an otherworldly being breathes down our necks before tribal drums join the fray. Eerie synths haunt the background into the leadup before all goes a bit quiet and we’re dumped into a stompy darksynth beat. Was I a bit disappointed that most of the elements from the beginning disappeared during this segment? Sure, I was, and it wasn’t as creative as I wanted it to be. But DevaNexus brings out a flourish as the stumpiness gets more stompy and those elements that I loved at the beginning make a remarkable return just before the two-minute mark. The song continues to play with this in-and-out routine, bouncing between both folklore elements and modern electronics. 

This is a good rebirth and one that I’m hoping doesn’t turn out to be a one-shot wonder. Don’t make it gimmicky and keep up the good work.