Doll - Greeting Death Under Blue Skies

 

Doll - Greeting Death Under Blue Skies- Cassette/Download – 2021 - 862-314-0518

https://862-314-0518.bandcamp.com/album/862-05-doll-greeting-death-under-blue-skies

https://xaylababydoll.bandcamp.com/music

I was extremely impressed by Doll’s Comfort Is Disease tape on Virtues Label recently: enough to want to delve further.

The unique atmospherics that I remember come through on Greeting Death Under Blue Skies, this combines field recordings and metal being hit which echoes over everything. I admire how it uses the disruption of silence as it’s main weapon. Synthesizer drones form Permanent Disposal of All Past Selves, smaller keyboard sounds play around this, the atmosphere is threatening compared to that of the previous track. This strengthens through the deeper drone thickening and the harmonies getting louder until everything fades.

The atmospherics of Crooked Fingers Always Find Their Way become increasingly disorientating the bigger they get. At this point the album is more synthesizers than field recordings and the gradual shift is impressive. I like the otherness of the sound; it really does go off elsewhere – suspenseful ambience and warped electronics play with each other in the bleakest manner possible. America Nocturnal follows similar ominous ambient paths – simple methods delivering rich results.

Things are brought down to lower volumes - To Be a Fool is subtle synth prods and some recorded footsteps/tapping, both form a tangible tension as they play each other off with added clanging. Threatening feedback rises as the synth continues to do the same for Dissolve One Tablet by Mouth Twice Daily. The feedback doubles and wails across the track, the synth keeps a rhythm throughout the movement of sounds. When the synth is allowed to resonate this sends sonic waves across the track. I would argue Doll toys with Death Industrial a lot in a subtle way – I find I am thinking wider experimental when listening but keep being reminded someone is having fun with the darkness at the same time. The end is The Way You Fuck the Moonlight: suspense, blurred boundaries and darkness are delivered. The twanging metallics deliver the lead, the dark atmosphere lurk in the background.

You know I am impressed by this work, one of the best I have heard all year because it thinks of a bigger picture and isn’t afraid to go into unchartered territory.

Coventry Soul 2021.

Doll – Comfort is a Disease

 

Doll – Comfort is a Disease – Cassette/Download – 2021- Virtues

https://www.virtueslabel.com/

https://xaylababydoll.bandcamp.com/album/comfort-is-a-disease

https://daisyelectronics.bandcamp.com/

Doll has been releasing since 2019 and is the project of one Xayla Daisy. There have been recordings on many labels, this is Doll’s first release on Virtues. This is one project that I have been meaning to review for a long time, so now is the time.

The torture Garden seems to be centred around a field recording of busy city life, the recording sounds busy and lively, just as a field recording it sounds good, I imagine myself there as the sounds play out. There seems to be a wave of distortion, it could be surrounding noise. Then, what sounds like either single instruments or something like a singing bowl begins to make ominous tones over the sounds. It sounds odd like early Ultra did, in some ways like nothing else that is around now.

Further field creepiness is demonstrated on Hair in My Mouth, Rotting Meat in my Pocket. Something gets hit forming a slow percussion as synthesisers give off notes of light melody. The creepiness is also simultaneously beautiful – by now I am relishing the unique beauty of Doll.

Aggressive confrontation and shouting play out as tones play over the top creating Water Flow. This is darker in sound than Rotting Meat… it is suspenseful and at times cinematic, especially as the shouting turns to a Water flow. Samples of metal being clanged and recordings of a man giving a pointed, abusive dialogue are overlaid by tones and drones – this is A Softer Angel. Everything works together beautifully as the mans comments get nastier.

The title track Comfort is a Disease like the others has a central field recording – this one sounds wet and splashy. I am usure what is going on. Tones play out over the top of it, the two converse for a long time. Drones appear at some point, clashing and clanging go off in the background, this turns to sharp tones and strings being abused. The longer track length allows for more changes and developments to happen in the passage of sound. It all makes for an effective sonic landscape; even as it dies out and we are left with water, it is beautiful. We reach the end with Becoming Concrete, subtle distortion and synth harmonies play out, like a broken broadcast from Phoenix Arizona.

I would describe this project as definitely being out on its own, following its own path. The album is the product of unique vision and an ambitious sound. I think this is a great release and would happily recommend it to anyone.

Army of One 2021