Live Review: LISTEN: Dirty Beaches 'Casino Lisboa'

Defined by a definite sound and continuous output of original material, “Casino Lisboa” is the third track off of DIRTY BEACHES’ soon-to-be-released LP Drifters/Love is the Devil. The favourable synth is quite obvious as one of Alex Hungtai’s go-to-gadgets.

His repertoire is quite extensive, with his itinerary ranging from synth, to guitar, to vocals, a man of many weapons. Throughout the entirety of his discography, Alex Zhang Hungtai’s solo project, DIRTY BEACHES has shown an extensive approach to the whole broody-late-50’s-nightlife feel, but nothing quite like the aura of “Casino Lisboa”. 

Opening with an underground kung-fu feel, the bass riff tumbles abruptly into the mix, defined by a bongo and the kind of fucked up distortion we wouldn’t so much hear from any usual or typical track of the lo-fi genre. The kick-ass backdrop is emphasised by the voice of DIRTY BEACHES. The low-fidelity characteristic resonates definitely throughout the songs entirety. The enigmatic nature of the band’s music is also another odd quirk, which is highlighted quite particularly in “Casino Lisboa”.

The perfect soundtrack to a night of wrongdoing or mischief, “Casino Lisboa” is almost the definition of demented beauty, the juxtaposition from hell.

Words by Caitlin Medcalf

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