released: february 17th, 2026

genre: experimental / contemporary classical

from: london, uk

label: self-released

a few thoughts: daēdah is the epithet of talented artist damsel elysium, an incredible multidisciplinary artist, composer who creates vast, atmospheric soundscapes that feel overwhelming and absolutely beautiful. they’ve been on my radar for a few years now, but haven’t immersed myself in their musical world properly until now. [daēdah]: the maiden, the architect & the mediator is their new mixtape, a stunning 17-track project that traverses through stunning atmospheric soundscapes, field recordings and string-led compositions that are so moving they at times bring me to tears. the spoken-word moments throughout the project, on tracks like “dream phonetics i : mutable epithet”, “the dungamisha i” and “the dungamisha ii” all featuring robin sparks give us an insight on their creative process and musings on art, describing thoughts and ideas in depth. it’s so fascinating. it’s pretty much a collage of sounds and field recordings accompanied by these introspective thoughts. even from the opener “daēdah’s manifesto” do we hear fascinating thoughts – “to express is to percuss / the first technology is the body”, over subtle synth melodies. the string composition on “the wind rises” is incredible, while valentina magaletti’s restless percussion on “the circle that left you spinning” creates this eerie, unassuming tone that is equally as haunting as it is beautiful. similarly, the overpowering energy of “daēdah’s forecast” is chilling, while the haunting vocals of “derecho, come on deliver” makes for a striking, memorable moment on the project. the sound collage of “a stellium in aquarius” is striking, with heavy synth and string melodies that are immersive and transcendent. the theatrical quality of “i’ll see you in the valley” featuring the narrator is also an stunning moment on the album, with a beauty and playfulness to the composition that is just incredible from start to finish. these are just some of the highlights on this transcendent, powerful album. the eclectic field recordings and sound collages are just utterly stunning from start to finish, and i couldn’t recommend this project enough.

the album: