GENRE; Post Rock/ Psychedelic/ Electronic/ Experimental/ Instrumental
RELEASE DATE; 21 September, 2026
RATING; 4/5
An eight minute instrumental piece which gives Project D.S.F’s “Ascent” plenty of scope for its cinematic aspirations. It’s taken from the EP “Heavy Water” which came out in September 2026 and is a very much a piece that blends electronica, post-rock, jazz fusion and the symphonic in a piece which is all about atmosphere and progression. Rather than being a song in the traditional sense it’s a piece that is structured to be experienced as a journey in itself, with its character being defined by the contrast of the various musical elements.
Blending a number of disparate genres together requires a certain sense of cohesion and the aim in “Ascent” is to create a very cinematic piece. It’s the relationship between the electronic, the progressive and the symphonic that gives it its character. The length of the piece allows the various elements to breathe and occupy their own space in the listening experience which in turn supports the overall ambition of creating a soundscape rather than a piece of conventional instrumental music.
An extra dimension is provided by the visual that goes with the track. The associated YouTube video shows spacecraft travelling through the depths of space and coming across all sorts of strange new worlds. That really extends the cinematicity of the piece beyond the audio alone. It gives “Ascent” a much broader narrative context and allows the piece to be experienced as part of an audiovisual journey. The space travel theme provides a visual context which really underpins the project’s interest in atmospheric storytelling.
“Ascent” shows what’s possible when the influences of genre are combined with visual narrative in the same piece. It’s also part of the “Heavy Water” sequence of extended plays that were intended as part of the Project D.S.F experience. It’s a track that combines electronica, post-rock, jazz fusion and symphonic music to create a very expansive listening environment which is designed to take you beyond the confines of a normal song.
