Death Has No Dominion

Death Has No Dominion

This Danish duo of Rasmus Bak and Bjarke Niemann clearly drove the 90 minutes it takes to get to the “Poughkeepsie Exit” of the New York State Thruway from New York City. They traveled through the woods to find the Rubber House once owned by Willem Dafoe, where they stayed and wrote the song on two ukuleles. Serendipitous moments like this are what make this self-titled debut such a rewarding and unusual experience. Over the ensuing months, the duo met regularly in the recording studio, where new songs emerged at every session. New York, Los Angeles, and Copenhagen set the scenes for these idiosyncratic songs that are mostly imagistic, creating visuals in the mind with a minimum of direction. “May Your House Be Safe from Tigers” is the perfect interlude after “Poughkeepsie Exit,” and it leads the way to “Coming Like a Hurricane,” a gentler ambient piece than the title implies. “Out of Your Mind” picks up the tempo for a space blues.

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