Jazz/Review Dan Webb - Things Rise and Fall
Dan Webb is a psychedelic fusionist, blending jazz, rock, and electronic music into kaleidoscopic, ever-shifting sonic journeys. Since 2008, he's moved from progressive keyboard-driven rock to experimental post-punk, electro-jazz, and audacious genre-bending sounds. His 2023 release, Sunshine/Dialogue, received universal critical acclaim and a nomination for Self-Producing Artist of the Year at the 2024 Music Producer & Engineers' Guild of Australia Awards.
“Things Rise and Fall” by Dan Webb is a dynamic and cinematic single that captures the constant movement of life through an ambitious blend of contemporary composition, jazz, orchestral textures, and powerful rhythm. Released as the second single from Webb’s forthcoming fifth album “Lion Dance,” the track delivers an expansive wall of sound while remaining rooted in a thoughtful philosophical concept.
Inspired by Taoist philosophy, “Things Rise and Fall” reflects on the natural cycles of change, movement, and impermanence. This perspective is closely connected to Webb’s own experience of relocating from Melbourne to Singapore in 2023, transforming a personal period of transition into a broader musical meditation on how circumstances, emotions, and perspectives continually evolve.
The track’s uptempo character gives these ideas an energetic physicality. Rather than approaching change as something purely contemplative, Webb translates it into momentum, creating a composition that feels constantly in motion. The cinematic scale of the production allows multiple instrumental voices to interact, producing a dense and immersive listening experience.
An exceptional group of musicians further elevates the recording. Emerging LA jazz bassist Logan Kane contributes to the track, while Clive Deamer brings his distinctive drumming background, known through work with artists including Radiohead and Portishead. Strings from Stevie Blacke and percussion by Nate Werth add further layers of texture, precision, and rhythmic complexity.
What makes “Things Rise and Fall” particularly effective is the relationship between its philosophical foundation and its expansive sound. The music does not simply illustrate the idea of change; it seems to embody it, shifting between rhythmic intensity, orchestral color, and atmospheric depth.
Dan Webb demonstrates an impressive ability to combine sophisticated musicianship with a strong conceptual identity. The result is a track that feels both intellectually considered and immediately engaging.
Ultimately, “Things Rise and Fall” is an energetic reflection on transition and impermanence, transforming personal experience and Taoist philosophy into a richly layered cinematic composition. It offers an intriguing preview of “Lion Dance” and reinforces Dan Webb’s reputation as an adventurous Australian producer and composer with a distinctly global perspective.