Ritual Union

Northern Little Dragon

The Swedes love music. They love to listen to it and they love to perform it. That is why there are a huge number of bands of world level from that country. There are representatives of various musical directions among them, from heavy rock to some softer kinds of music. In the middle of nineties a new electronic band was formed in Gothenburg – that was the beginning of Little Dragon’s career. The musicians do not pamper listeners with a new album every year, but due to that every fresh long play from the Swedes turns into a real event. The band had been preparing thoroughly for releasing their debut record, but it was totally worth it. Music lovers all over the world enjoyed the delicate style of Little Dragon, so after that it was a bit easier for the quartet to move forward. Their dance composition with fascinating arrangements simply could not be ignored. By 2011 Little Dragon recorded the third studio attempt, which got the title Ritual Union. What kind of surprises had been made by the musicians? The eleven tracks will help to understand.

Many-sided Ritual Union

The previous long plays of the Swedish group proved to be quite strong and they had been well taken by both musical experts and listeners. What could have been expected from Ritual Union then? At least that it would be as good and stylish as its predecessors Little Dragon or Machine Dreams. Since the official release of Ritual Union took place and we had an opportunity to get acquainted wit it, it is possible to state that the musicians remained faithful to what they do. Little Dragon have their unique style, and it is many-sided and it absorbed elements of various directions. Thus, Ritual Union gives us songs that differ from each other, but at the same time they definitely do complement each other perfectly. The very first track Ritual Union creates a right mood, playing nicely with the bass line. The following song Little Man sounds spry and it somehow reminds of melodies from old video games - Little Dragon’s arrangements are quite original and sometimes they even border with well elaborated minimalism. Little Man may not cause a wave of nostalgia for eighties, but Shuffle A Dream may improve that situation. The album’s longest track, When I Go Out, sounds mystically, and who knows, maybe it will be perfect as a soundtrack to a tense moment of some movie?

Mutual interests

There is no doubt that the quintet’s members find inspiration in different music. It may be pop-music, electronic compositions, ambient and many others. Sure thing that this kind of diversity has the impact on Little Dragon’s creativity. However it is the very feeling that Ritual Union came to us from the recent past years, that adds a special charm to the album. The sound probably cannot be called vintage; however it certainly has the fascination of eighties. Juicy bass lines, trenchant beats and rememberable vocals – everything is performed at the highest level. It is interesting, what direction will be chosen by Little Dragon as a future destination. The band found the style, so the musicians already have a basis that will help them to move forward.