When I saw Darto for the first time when Fugue played with them at Bridgetown DIY in La Puente, CA, they easily became one of my favorite contemporary bands. They were so loud, so weird, and wrote really amazing songs. They were in the same vein of the kind of music I wanted to make and what I wanted to hear other bands making. It was amazing for being a three piece and no bass (baritone guitar played a large role). Darto released two 12" EPs and one 7" in this style, and then cycled through a bit of a shuffle in terms of band members, instruments, and musical style as well. I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first; I have fallen in love with this music they were creating, and it was strange to see them do a very dramatic change to what they were writing. They released a demo of a track on bandcamp, and though it was not that loud guitar rock sound that had won me over initally, it definitely stuck with me and grew on me. After moving up here to Seattle, I got to see them open for Justin Tropser's and Sara Lund's new band Nocturnal Habits, and I got to see this new entity of Darto for the first time. And I really enjoyed it. It's different, and they've changed their aim a bit, but to me it's still Darto. They are are still creating this unique music, just now instead of loud, intense dissonance coming from guitars and pounding drums, it's melodic, catchy, spacey, and honest. Instead of being drowned out by stacks of vintage and custom amps alike, you can hear harmonies and lyrics. They are coming out with a new record later this year, and I am very excited to hear it. Darto is still Darto, and they represent a kind of music that resonates with me more than most. It's special.
I saw them two nights in a row, one at Chop Suey and the other at Everday Music. Though they played a shorter set, the evening was a nice spread of what was to come on their new record (and technically their first full-length). I kept all of the songs in one track because I did not want to be a fool and decide when one song ended and another began. Also, I don't know any of the names to the songs, so yeah. Enjoy.
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