"Hemispherica Portalis" is the debut collaboration album from the collective imagination of Deborah Martin and Dean de Benedictis. Performing under the moniker "Desensitized," these two veteran ambient electronic sound explorers have joined forces to craft a thought-provoking work of art that combines ancient and futuristic moods into a captivating world of sound, filling the imagination with illusory images of undiscovered realms. The abstract and alluring music that unfolds across the album's seven tracks is in many ways just what one would expect when de Benedictis & Martin's recognizable yet disparate styles are focused into a singular expression. "Hemispherica Portalis" acts as a jumping-off point for the duo's "Desensitized" deep dive into a new form of texture-based sonic exploration - one that merges vintage space-music tendencies with a modern electronic ambient style. Roiling in slow motion, Deborah's signature sounds and digital synth expressions expand and contract as the occasional acoustic flourish or melodic moment briefly bubbles to the surface. Added to that are the nuanced layers of Dean's remarkable laptop-based sound-sculpting approach and the resulting array of textural, experimental, and at times gritty elements that he expertly swirls into the mix. This blending of the two artist's distinct sonic palettes and differing styles paints an appealing and cohesive soundscape that is lush, refreshing, and truly special. Together as "Desensitized," Deborah Martin & Dean de Benedictis summon a unique and expansive sound that is vivid, alive, colorful, and surreal, as the subtle dreamscapes of "Hemispherica Portalis" offer a sublime retreat into sonic beauty, where past and future echoes mingle, collide, and fuse into dreams, deeply alien... yet somehow familiar.
