Dania: Listless – Intimate Underground Pop Inspired by Medical Late-Night Work

In addition to producing atmospheric digital compositions, the Iraqi-born, Barcelona-based artist Dania also works night shifts as an critical care physician. These nocturnal hours are the influence behind her latest release Listless: all 7 tracks were composed and recorded after midnight, while the artwork features the slender flower of the Japanese snake gourd, a species that only blooms at night. But, you won't find much of the turmoil of her overnight routine here: rather, the album exudes a quiet peacefulness that is at times blissful, sometimes uncanny.

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Meeting somewhere amid downtempo, ethereal rock and ambient, and a hint of catchy melodies, the layered tracks slink along hypnotically, driven by waves of synthesizers and, for the first time, percussion. An innovative feature to Dania’s typical setup, these drums add a soft slow-paced rhythm to several of the tracks. The meandering, murky rhythm in Personal Assistant recalls the late-90s bands Scala and another, whereas the song Car Crash Premonition is the nearest the album come to intense. Composed following an disturbing cab ride to her workspace late one evening, it is simultaneously contemplative and dizzying, fit for a film montage.

Additional tracks, including one titled I Know That and another called Write My Name, are more reminiscent of Dania’s previous work: minimalist and amorphous. The final song, named A Hunger, possesses a subaquatic feel, with bubbling and pinging electronics that sound like medical monitors, blended with altered answerphone-style singing.

The artist's soft, whispering voice is present through almost the entirety of the album. Its words are almost imperceptible as her vocals are floating, looped, layered, at points almost absent at all. Having been raised in a home where singing was discouraged, she’s said it’s something she’s always felt personal. But this is also an brilliant decision, enhancing the surreal haze on the gorgeous, intimate album.

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