![](https://www.maximumrocknroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daszu-Zone-of-Swans-350x350.jpg 350w, https://www.maximumrocknroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Daszu-Zone-of-Swans-500x500.jpg 500w)
Daszu Zone of Swans/Lucid Actual • 1/2 Dativa 2xLP
Archival reissue of forgotten post-punk from the early 1980s. Disc one, recorded as a bass-drums-synth trio based in Wisconsin and originally released as a cassette in 1981, seems to be divided into more abrasive “Severance” tracks and pop-oriented “Enticement” cuts; the former captures a bit of the tension personified by better-documented NYC no wave or UK post-punk acts, while the latter fades into “quirky” new wave blandness. Interestingly, disc two, recorded a few years later after the vocalist relocated to Australia and (as far as I can tell) never properly released, moves further into minimal synth soundscapes, offering a restrained, yet somehow more intense sonic experience. Overall this leans toward pretentious arty indulgence but despite its imperfections is worth investigating.