Lucy Fitzgerald 
The Dharma Chain return with “Some Kind of Pure State”, their second full-length record, shaped by years moving between Byron Bay in Australia and Berlin. Formed in 2020, the group works with shifting roles inside the lineup, keeping collaboration at the center rather than a fixed front figure. This release was recorded at Funkhaus Berlin with producer Jonathan Dreyfus, marking a new phase after earlier sessions in an abandoned church on the Gold Coast Hinterland and a basement studio in East Berlin for their debut “Nowhere”. The band steps into this record with a steadier direction while holding onto the raw edge that marked their early work, refining their identity after constant change and relocation. Sound design on the album builds dense layers of reverb-soaked vocals, guitars that move between haze and abrasion, and steady industrial undertones. Neo-psychedelic rock, shoegaze, post-punk, and 1970s rock-and-roll elements blend into a wide wall of sound that shifts between restrained passages and heavier bursts. Berlin’s darker pulse runs across the arrangements, while the writing method keeps space for improvisation and group interplay. The result is a set of tracks that hold tension and release in equal measure, with each section shaped by texture and movement rather than strict structure.
Ideas running across “Some Kind of Pure State” include love in multiple forms, addiction, political pressure, and the search for meaning in everyday life. These subjects appear as reflections shaped by periods of instability and change. The writing avoids direct statements, allowing moments of clarity to surface after disorder and uncertainty. There is a steady pull between emotional strain and quiet resolution, giving the record a wide emotional field without locking it into one direction. The balance between density and space keeps the record engaging from start to finish. I keep returning to how the group manages to sound unfiltered while still maintaining direction. There is a strong sense of identity forming here, even inside constant motion.
This is a record I would return to when looking for something that sits between intensity and reflection. It holds attention without demanding it, and rewards repeated listening with new details each time. Listeners should follow The Dharma Chain and keep “Some Kind of Pure State” in rotation, especially as the band continues touring across Europe with appearances at major festivals including Desertfest Berlin, Fuzz Club Festival, Brighton Psych Fest, and Manchester Psych Fest. Adding it to playlists gives it space to settle in over time, revealing more of its layered construction with each return.
Listening to songs so you don’t have to! Just kidding :D, you totally should. Music blogger by day, nurse by night
