Mysterious, Danish electronic music artist Ani Even is a self-described “electro cave/rave/chantcore artist.” Late late year, Even shared “The Nearest Star,” a slow-burning yet euphoric ode to the Winter Solstice, centered around sampled layers of Benedictine monk-like chants, indigenous-like throat singing, Even’s plaintive vocals, thumping club friendly beats and glistening synths. The end result is a mind-bending mix of rave music, drum ‘n’ bass, shoegaze and spiritual music — that sounds as though it should be played at Stonehenge.
Even’s latest single “Dogstar” derives its title from Sirius, a star in the constellation Canis Major, seen in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere. Sirius, also known as the Dog Star is the brightest star in the night sky. For those in Egypt, the rising of Sirius roughly correlates to the cyclical flooding of the Nile River, while the ancient Greeks, it marked “the dog days of summer,” the hottest part of the summer. For the Polynesians, who were mostly located in the Southern hemisphere, the rising of Sirius marked the beginning of winter — and the star was used as a guiding reference while navigating the Pacific Ocean.
Centered around layers of glistening synth arpeggios, a relentless motorik groove, skittering beats paired with heavily vocodered and distorted vocals and euphoric hooks, “Dogstar” manages to sound as though it pulls from elements of Giorgio Moroder-era disco, Kraftwerk-era techno, and Little Boots-era electro pop and meshes them into a seamless, crowd-pleasing fashion.
The Danish artist describes the song as “a journey from the melancholic to the joyous. The Sirius star (Canis Major) is sometimes reffered [sic] to as the Dogstar [sic]. A guiding light on the night’s sky, which helps you navigate through the darkness towards a brighter horizon. Follow your heart and you will find your destination.”
