Dania: Listless – Intimate Experimental Music Inspired by Medical Night Shifts
Besides crafting evocative digital compositions, the Iraqi-born, Barcelona-based musician Dania also works night shifts as an emergency doctor. These nocturnal shifts are the influence behind her latest release Listless: all seven songs were written and recorded in the early hours, while the artwork showcases the spindly blossom of the Trichosanthes cucumerina, a plant that flowers exclusively after dark. But, you won't find much of the chaos of her late-night schedule here: rather, the album embodies a quiet peacefulness that is at times euphoric, occasionally eerie.
Converging somewhere between downtempo, ethereal rock and ambient, and a hint of catchy melodies, the textured tracks slink along hypnotically, propelled by waves of synths and, as a new element, drums. A new addition to Dania’s usual arrangement, these drums add a gentle slow-paced rhythm to several of the songs. The meandering, murky beat in Personal Assistant recalls the 1990s-era groups Scala and another, whereas Car Crash Premonition is the nearest things get to intense. Written after an unnerving taxi journey to her studio one night, it is simultaneously contemplative and dizzying, fit for a movie scene.
Additional tracks, such as one titled I Know That and another called Write My Name, are closer in style of the artist's past work: stripped back and formless. The closing track, named A Hunger, possesses a subaquatic quality, with gurgling and beeping sounds that resemble medical equipment, blended with distorted voicemail-like vocals.
Dania’s soft, murmuring voice is featured through almost the entirety of the record. Its lyrics are almost imperceptible as her voice are floating, looped, stacked, sometimes barely there at all. Growing up in a household where vocal expression was discouraged, she has stated it’s something she’s consistently considered personal. But this is additionally an brilliant decision, enhancing the surreal haze on this beautiful, intimate record.
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