If you are wondering if dpr is related to prd, you would be correct. This is also the work of Oakland-based artist Dave Olesky. According to the liner notes, "dpr was born out of a cancer diagnosis and my desire to present my emotions in a musical form in a timely manner. Unlike the experimental live improvisation of prd, this project will be more straight-forward DAW-produced (dark)ambient." I had quite enjoyed the prd work, so I was interested to see how this would differ in approach and sound.

We kick it off with "Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma, P16-Positive," which is a slow moving synth track with a lot of bass and unintelligible voices whispering buried in the mix. Like a cancer, this mutates over time, and while it was peaceful with some ominous undertones, it becomes more spastic as the track progresses. "Future Unknown" keeps it dark but brings in a beat and makes it a bit noisy. The overall feel is grittier than the previous track, but with a melancholy melody over it all. This is the soundtrack to a wind-swept wasteland.

This is a bit too structured to fall in with the typical dark ambient fare, but there is a sense of introspection present that is often lacking in experimental music. You could play this for someone who doesn't like experimental music and they would like this. It's not heavy, but knowing the background gives it a sense of emotional weight. This was interesting and a good listen. Well worth picking up.

And as a final note, I hope that the treatment is successful and Olesky is doing well health-wise. It is often easy to forget that the musicians are real people with real lives and real problems. Kudos for channeling this into something beautiful.