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New York/Texas duo DIMINISHING presents its second release, The Outcome.

Formed in 2019 by Texas-based Lane Oliver (ex-Yatsu, Feel Happiness) and New York-based  David Brenner (Gridfailure), DIMINISHING released its demoralizing debut album, The Unnamable, through Anti-Corp in 2023. Tense, harsh, and emotionally devastating, the album presented a spectrum of semi-improvisational post-industrial, dark ambient, drone, and noise, with decimating riffwork, immersive drones, haunting atmospherics, mechanical rhythms, and an aura of pure loss. Thematically delving into existential crises, anxiety in the face of the unknown, and personal failings, the album cemented the foundation upon which the project would continue to construct its tormented art.

Three years later, DIMINISHING now delivers The Outcome, a twenty-four-minute movement that sees the group exploring its own bleak depths on a path to take the sound even further into the personal abyss. Constructed around a bleak and grating improv dual-guitar drone recorded while the duo was still constructing The Unnamable, the duo fleshed out a conceptual movement which explores the curiously dark corners of the human psyche within the family construct. 

With Brenner performing vocals, guitar, bass, synths/keys, and effects, The Outcome was conceived and with lyrics by Oliver, who provides vocals, guitar, synth, effects, and the final mix, mastered by Anti-Corp Music/Black Matter Mastering’s Dan Emery (Kool Keith, Thetan, Krieg), and completed with visual/graphic design work by Brenner

Lane Oliver delves, “The meat of The Outcome is a 24-minute-long, dual improv guitar session I recorded on a whim back in February 2021. I had no intention to use it for anything, it was just an itch I had to scratch. I shared it with Dave, who responded enthusiastically and urged that it be used for DIMINISHING in some form. For the next five years, we worked on it intermittently, adding new layers of instrumentation when our lives allowed us to do so. Elements of doom, post-rock, dark ambient, and noise began to color the track as we fed it through the DIMINISHING filter. When it finally became as morose as it possibly could get, we called it done. This single track/EP marks a new step in the unpredictable evolution of this project, and I am excited to share it.”

He continues, “The lyrics/theme of The Outcome deal with anticipatory grief and our negative reactions to it. When faced with the impending passing of a loved one, one may unreasonably blame oneself or lash out at others. Some may lament that they could have done more. Some may chastise family members for not doing enough. People tend to put unrealistic expectations on themselves and those around them when faced with such an incredibly stressful and heartrending situation. These are things that I and those close to me have seen and experienced the last few years, so it felt appropriate to write about.”

The Outcome captures a brief moment for DIMINISHING, as the group is already heavily immersed in the creation of their second full-length, which, even in its infancy, is becoming their most expansive and harrowing material yet.

Personnel:
Dave Brenner - vocals, bass, synths, effects
Lane Oliver - vocals, guitar, synth, effects, lyrics, mixing 

FFO: Godflesh, Nurse With Wound, Ramleh, Lustmord, Khanate, Nine Inch Nails, Swans, Sunn O))), Locrian