Comaduster is a progressive electronic music project envisioned by Canadian professional game sound designer, and veteran music producer Réal Cardinal. Though you may have not heard the music of Comaduster, many avid gamers over the last decade would have heard his unmistakable sound FX work in BioWare franchises like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, or in Microsoft’s Gears of War 4 to name a few.
The 2009 self-released Slip Through EP debuted Cardinal’s unique weave of potent vocal hooks, meticulous sound design, and progressive arrangements. The EP quickly found it’s way around the dark corners of the industrial scene and was generally well received by a small but devoted following of fans.
After several years dialing in the craft of game audio design, Cardinal found his stride and honed vision with 2013’s Hollow Worlds originally released on Tympanik Audio. A span of influences reaching from the sophisticated tones of late 90s IDM and post-rock, fused with the jagged edges of Industrial, Drum and Bass, and Dubstep defined the tone of the record. The album sat near the top of many ‘best of’ lists that year and remains a favorite amongst many.
A streak of engaging and energetic live performances, including a memorable performance overseas at the Resistanz 2015 festival, brought about a lengthy conceptual writing process that continued through 2015 and 2016. Cardinal explored ideas on the nature of our quantum reality in the summer of 2017 with the highly anticipated science fiction concept LP -- Solace. Now showing his early roots in progressive rock, dreampop/shoegaze, with a cinematic undercurrent, a new angle on the already diverse Comaduster sound was presented with much acclaim. The album was performed from front to back at Terminus Festival 2017.
The history of Comaduster as a remix artist is dotted few and far between, but remixes for the likes of Celldweller, Purity Ring, Front Line Assembly, Architect, Ivardensphere, and Aesthetic Perfection defined the act’s remix stature.
In Fall 2018, Comaduster aligned with independent multi-genre record label FiXT, in the label’s new electronic-focused division, FiXT Labs. Signing on for a multi-album deal, comprised of an official re-mastered re-release of Hollow Worlds as well as re-releases of Solace and a handful of rare singles/Eps, ahead of new material coming in 2019.
Challenging, far-reaching, but approachable -- Comaduster will always be a music project about exploring Cardinal’s love of electronic music, focused through the lens of vocal songcraft.
