In the shadowy corners of the liminal realm between dreams and the waking hour, there’s an eerie tune that chimes and resonates and reverberates, underscoring the cryptic number 2.56. In this place, there’s a songbird crooning about the kind of obsession that could drive a saint to sin, where seduction and sacrifice dance cheek to cheek under a flickering neon light. This enigmatic number, which is 2.56, is a serenade to the complexity of lust, to the kind of emotions that weave through your heart like a shiv through butter: smooth but deadly. It speaks the language of the damned and the desperate, of souls tangled up in a dance too intricate to unravel, where every step is a gamble on the razor’s edge of desire.
2:56, the latest single from The Dharma Chain, heralds a daring new direction for the Australian-born, now Berlin-based psychedelic rockers. Set to grace their eagerly awaited album Nowhere, due out in May 2024, this piece ventures into novel realms with its slasher film-inspired themes, setting a backdrop of anxious uncertainty.
With Bronte Perkinson at the helm, delivering haunting vocals, the song explores the dark territories of stalking, fear, and obsession. The stark interplay between the harsh guitars and ominous strings against the smooth, repetitive rhythms of the bass and drums crafts an atmosphere that’s both tense and intriguing, drawing listeners into a world rife with intrigue and suspense.
“2.56 alludes to a story of a lover gone mad,” reveals singer Bronte Perkinson.” Obsessed with the one she desires, the lyrics play with metaphors of seduction and sacrifice. 2.56 portrays the complexity of the emotions involved in lust.”
“The song was originally titled ‘576’, a reference to the approximate resolution of the human eye, 576 megapixels, but through time and various set lists and file name confusions, have mysteriously ended up with ‘2.56’, and have grown to love it,” says the band.
The monochromatic video accompanying the track is a study in suspense, unfolding with the deliberate drama akin to the works of cinematic giants like Hitchcock and Kubrick. Every frame is meticulously crafted, creating a visual experience as gripping as the iconic scenes from these legendary directors, drawing viewers into a spellbinding interplay of shadow and light. Snacks For Your Eyes (aka Jordan Pavey) filmed, edited and produced the video with the band .
“A dark blurry night in a tiny bar with black velvet walls and no windows. It’s the inevitable Alfred Hitchcock/Dharma Chain collaboration,” quips guitarist Jarra Grigg.
Watch the dream that is “2.56” unfold below:
The process of recording and mixing the song “2.56” was skillfully handled by Ben Rompotis and Jarra Grigg. They made sure to capture each note and nuance with clarity and depth. For the final touch of mastering, Enyang Urbriks expertly executed the task, bringing a polished finish to the creative output of the song.
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