Very nice mix of pace and vocals here, really like the sound of these guys, very much made me want to check out the rest of their stuff. Super pretty layers and mixing too.

Great Midwest Emo split, my personal favourite being the WhenWordsFail side, but Ciao absolutely pulled their weight here. Very similar to Jingwei or Merchant Ships.

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" BONUS SPLIT

Body Shirt pull their weight here with two decent tracks. "gaze like autumn" is actually pretty excellent, redeeming the muffled nature of Life's prior release. It sounds passionate, and the guitar work feels fresh and different. "first kiss in autumn" is also very well done, it sounds hungry and eager. It's a nice set of tracks, though not the most memorable. Definitely a better way to ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #17

"lullaby" is a nice change of pace with its lo-fi nature. It does sound a little washed out though, its difficult to discern any sounds, perhaps intentionally. "evening blue" is nice, this could have been very good if developed into a full track and mixed better. I do worry the Life formula may be growing a little stale by this point, hoping for a more broad palate if the project continues. "point of ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #16

Love this cover. "madi" is a strong stage setter, sounds great. "suddenly in early autumn" has a great rhythm to it, love the tone here. "pink and black" continues with that buzzing tone, I like how cohesive this project is so far. Loving the guitar works across the board too. "loveletters" again continues with this heavy Midwest Screamo sound, huge fan. "autumn around the ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #15

"i know you're sweet" is pretty standard for the more metal side of Life, with a lovely soft guitar line that appears and carries the remainder of the song. "an exchanging of soft gestures" is instantly gravitating, very dreamy guitar. The drums sound so frustrated, they're great. "untitled three" crawls towards its destination, and the journey is well worth it. A ridiculously good trio ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #14

Showing no signs of stopping, yet another 2025 project is released. "silence of two" soars along, this artist really isn't human. This level of quantity and quality is unheard of. "J" is completely gorgeous, another favourite. Really love the pacing of this one. "empty street orange light" has a great opening riff, I love how it initially drags. The ending is almost hopeful sounding, even with ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #13

Can really hear the improvements as the atmosphere of Life is curated and develops, this is another stellar release. "we hold hands" is a devasting introduction, picking up halfway in. So beautiful. "every moment is the first time" continues with this anxious, slow, trancelike state, until the huge payoff. Love the almost droning end with muffled vocals. "bleeding summer" has some incredible ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #12

"I say June for what feels like the first time,
my lips can't remember what way they’re supposed to twitch or curve or flutter"

Damián Antón Ojeda may be the most underrated contemporary musician working now, the sheer amount of projects and the quality of them is outstanding. This is the most full sounding album under the "life" pseudonym, it is lush and passionate and crushing, ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #11

Great melody to start, I adore "chasing", one of my favourite Life tracks in a while. Strike that core balance so well. "untitled eight" is a very short burst, would love if it was longer and more developed. "forget me not" may be the clearest the vocals have ever been, I really like it. Develops well too. "untitled four" is very crunchy, big fan. Love the suddenness of the acoustic ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #10

A return to form is welcomed by me, I like the intros to both "untitled five" and "six", with the ending of the latter being very nice too. "days in the past" is alright, doesn't jump out at me, "perfect kiss" is pretty good, I like the mix on this one. "we could run away" is very pretty, even if it retreads similar ground to some other tracks. "untitled seven" is ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #9

This is the first release that I would consider a full album. It opens with "her eyes the burning song", a metallic track that chugs along with some very pretty vocals layered on top of harsh screams. "mesa" is a cool continuation that leads to "in helpless gesture", a short and sweet metal interlude. "cold channel" holds the pace, this is definitely the most metal adjacent release so far. ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #8

Absolutely beautiful release. Adore the cover too. "monologue" is one of my favourite Life tracks so far, it has a great balance of everything I love about the project. "light on surface" is very angsty, almost threatening to claw out. I like the prominent vocal sections. "sueñas lo mismo" is relentless, hammering away. The screaming tone achieved here is thrilling, almost horrifying. Very ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #7

Into the 2025 releases, "everything for your hands in autumn" is a quite ambient start, very pretty, I love the contrast of the wails. "untitled" is the most demo demo thus far, it's not really needed here, too short to be worthwhile. "three years" is also fairly unremarkable. "sunset at the hill" is what I was waiting for, great track.

This one isn't anything too special ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #6

"17 memory" is a very promising start, albeit a bit formulaic. "centuries turn" is good, but this version of "travelling waters" doesn't seem to serve much purpose. "i saw you in my dream last night" is absolutely the star of the show, great track. This one definitely feels the most demolike so far.

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #5

Quite a strange blend of very laidback and very heavy moments here. "subject" displays this well, feeling like two entirely different songs. I do like it, but it is a bit jarring. Their voice over the ambience is very pleasant. "blue as your wounds" wastes no time in getting back into the grit. Really like this one, they honest to God cannot make a bad song, even if some blend together. "i want to go ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #4

A staggering demo clocking in at 46 minutes with just four tracks, almost half of that being the final track alone. "you're the most precious" is a sprawling opener, following a couple of distinct stages until the final release with vocals accompanying, before fading out. "feral child" is quite slow and mellow until the release, very pretty. "i knew somewhere" sounds so familiar to me, like a ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #3

"ametic" feels urgent, desperate, carnal. Their voice was truly made for this. "paroxis" feels soft despite its loudness, almost welcoming. They have a way of making long songs feel so concise. "september" has a lovely guitar melody to start, very light until the rush that arrives. I love the way so many Life tracks fade in and out of devasting sound and quiet contemplation. "lluvia" has ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #2

"i still burn" is a great track to start with, such a great blackgaze build. "pathwalk" has a much quieter, very dreamy and ethereal intro, maintaining the lo-fi nature throughout the heavier part. "emhudlhevukshja" has a beautiful post-rock element blended with bursts of drenched agony. "twelve travel" delivers a therapeutic end, incredible vocal performance. Damián is a force to ... read more

/ LIFELONG /
All Damián Releases Under "Life" #1

A very, very solid set of singles to start. The piano at the end of the second track is just gorgeous. Acts as a great taster for what Life will offer.