The purpose built next generation interstellar Dawn Richard thread

OK, yeah, it's the aforementioned end of Warriors. And the underwater drum turns into a heartbeat, then the gauzy shimmer of Projection starts, and that is just such a perfect moment.

IMPRINTED IN MY HEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDD

So... is that mask on the cover going on or coming off?

― longneck, Friday, January 16, 2015 5:45 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

still haven't worked out what i think the answer to this is

bought this the first day obv but I've been waiting for the right moment for the first spin; thread obv suggests I should just fuck it and put it on

Lex's reference to Imogen Heap upthread got me thinking that the best thing that could happen to Dawn would be to have a "Hide & Seek" style viral moment - something that crossed over to an audience open to what she's doing while bypassing both the usual critical and commercial gatekeepers.

But even then the boost that created for Imogen's career was only relative.

― Tim F, Wednesday, January 28, 2015 4:07 AM Bookmark

"Hide & Seek" was used as a tv theme tho.

Yes exactly! Or rather an end credits soundtrack right (The OC iirc)? I meant "usual gatekeepers" as in the usual ways that music becomes big. Obv there was some sort of executive who ultimately approved its use.

It's really "pre-viral" in the sense that it predates the ubiquity of social media but I feel like it's a good example of how some music / artists may have an audience out there for them but only if there is a means of communication and an appropriate context. For "Hide & Seek", connecting the song to an emotionally overwrought adolescent tv show cliffhanger was the best way to get past the idea of the song as ~My First Tori Amos does "O Superman"~ which was never gonna fly either critically or commercially.

I remember an Australian Idol contestant performed it the following year and all the judges were like "we were really concerned by this choice as we've never heard of this song before. But you've reassured us that everyone under the age of 20 knows this song."

I'm not sure what song you'd choose from Dawn's catalogue or what the means of communication would be but I do feel like she's an artist for whom those strategies would be more likely to work than others.

~My First Tori Amos does "O Superman"~

ha

"Hide & Seek" got a little VH1 and pop radio airplay when it was new but yeah it only really gradually saturated pop culture through The OC and Jason DeRulo, etc.

oh god, I'd managed to block that Derulo song from memory

to be accurate, the only song where i feel dawn goes OTT with the heapisms is "86", which put me off it for a while

~My First Tori Amos does "O Superman"~

this is otm. i really quite dislike "hide & seek"

Yeah I didn't mean they're that similar as artists, more that it occurred to me that there's an entire chasm that female artists can fall into when they're 1) too earnest to be sirens; 2) not aggressive enough to be one of the boys; and 3) not already a popular success. The 90s is littered with the bones of artists who fell into this category and even when they found an audience or occasionally even managed some kind of crossover success it felt despite of, rather than because of, the existing patterns of commercial or critical support.

earnestness is interesting bc obv someone like fka twigs is also earnest but in a completely different way?

actually, maybe a depressing reason is that dawn as a solo artist has been mostly unbothered about sounding sexy

to be accurate, the only song where i feel dawn goes OTT with the heapisms is "86", which put me off it for a while

"Superhero"! "86" just sounds like a Jam & Lewis ballad to me.

earnestness is interesting bc obv someone like fka twigs is also earnest but in a completely different way?

actually, maybe a depressing reason is that dawn as a solo artist has been mostly unbothered about sounding sexy

― lex pretend, Wednesday, January 28, 2015 10:08 PM (37 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah I think with fka twigs even her earnestness is filtered through a "sensuousness of surfaces" aesthetic (AKA what artists mean when they namecheck Aaliyah) that allows her to be experienced as pure affect. It's not that dawn's surfaces aren't sensuous, but I think the music doesn't sit easily within that as a primary frame.

Yay, new interview

http://www.factmag.com/2015/01/30/dawn-richard-interview/

really good interview. been wanting to read someone else (not a gossip site) interview her for a long time.

calypso (daughter of a titan) as in the greek myth, of course

Nice review, Lex.

I think I've had this Muhsinah EP on my hard drive for years but never listened to it til now cause the mp3s weren't tagged right, but the first three tracks are very Richardesque.

http://www.okayplayer.com/news/muhsinah-gone-double-ep-download.html

ok i haven't heard the whole record yet but i'm tripping out over 'Projection', esp. the rhythmic/sonic turn it takes around 3:00.

I think I'm most obsessed with "Swim Free"

here's the video for "choices;" i'm obsessed with it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPJMxz-ZoRY

ok holy shit "Warriors" is sooooooo good. I'm sure there's more going on than voices but they're all I want to hear now

officially back on the train, y'all

― The Reverend, Friday, January 16, 2015 1:29 AM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark

I love that Tide music video - it captures that chasmic metaphysical solipsistic space that great sci fi often depicts - the ending of Solaris, neon genesis (I know you see me on this Brad!), that one part in neuromancer

Swim Free is incredible but it's not alone on this record. Pretty gobsmacked by how good this is.

Her vocals and the way they are produced on "Swim Free" convey emotion nicely

I don't think I've ever read a more generic and content-free comment on music. Truly staggered.

pretty terrible quality clip but she's blending "swim free" with "hyperballad" live!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt0n1gho-9w

i think i might like this album as much as "Black Messiah"
which is to say it's among the most complete and consistent and engaging albums i've heard

and ecstatic and beautiful and fully realized and all that good stuff
been returning to her earlier work and it's great as well of course but this represents such a leap

If the weather doesn't mess things up, gonna see her Tuesday night (after seeing Erykah Badu Monday night)

Snow kept me from seeing Erykah Monday night alas, but transportation was fine tonight and I saw Dawn before a smallish 100 or so person crowd at the Howard Theatre. Dawn was full of energy, dancing and projecting her voice and chatting in between songs about Fat Tuesday (she is from New Orleans) her album and how she makes each gig different (NY had dancers). Some younger NY singer Alan Michael was down in DC & jumped onstage to duet with her on "86" and "Physical." One of her 3 keyboardists got jazzy at times, while the drummer was going for a Big eaasyish polyrhythmic funky thing. At times her model poses and tv reality show belting was a tad too much, and some rough sound at the beginning hurt a few cuts. She did most of the new album in her 1 hr & 15 minute set

Her NBA Basketball cheerleader roots were showing a bit in her moves

No Bjork cover, but Dawn added a few bars of Oasis' Champagne Supernova at the Howard Theatre show.

awesome interview done by dawn's cousin (!) on solange's website

http://saintheron.com/featured/interview-dawn-richard/

i also only just caught how raw one of the first lines of "billie jean" is. "i'm like an assassin, leave without a trace / except the mess you left when you're all on my face" O_O

there is a very specific momentary vocal ad lib on "projection" which reminds me of a very specific vocal ad lib somewhere on kate bush's aerial

good:

http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b6d7b5629921e1c6ae7d905e7&id=68cacfc491

x-post to Lex's quote...Is it in one of her songs or am I remembering a between song live comment when she follows up a lyric and says something like "yes I really said that"

been listening to this album a lot over the past month; i think the only track that doesn't excite me every time i hear in queue up is Phoenix

adderall is consistently astonishing; goddamn this album should be everywhere
i've played a few tracks to at least a half dozen music industry people who should know better who are blown away and then confused why they haven't heard of her

i mean

http://www.gigsandtours.com/event/dawn-richard/jazz-cafe/858197

Who's in?

also: https://twitter.com/DawnRichard/status/573168485448224769

in for sure!

and

http://www.youtube.com/embed/7NXbNQRzRwY

that's really good

Y'ALL

OFFICIALLY DONE WITH THESE NON-DAWN RICHARD ASS MUSICIANS

A good sentiment, that.

OFFICIALLY DONE WITH THESE NON-DAWN RICHARD ASS MUSICIANS

― raih dednelb (The Reverend), Wednesday, March 4, 2015 3:06 PM (10 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

song is incredible