Douglas Dare Prepares Playlist in Support of New Album
'Aforger' LP is out now on Erased Tapes.
Douglas Dare‘s sophomore full-length, Aforger, was released last week via London’ Erased Tapes.
As mentioned, central to Aforger are two major moments in Douglas’ life: coming out to his father for the first time and learning that his longtime partner was committing adultery behind his back.
As a mark of the LP, Dare recently compiled an exclusive playlist for XLR8R that reflects his various musical inspirations. Included within are two new recordings and two solo piano versions of album tracks that are not yet available.
The playlist is downloadable via the WeTransfer button below.
Tracklisting:
01. Douglas Dare and Jayson Patterson “Morning Class Notes”
02. Douglas Dare “6a (Tape)”
03. PJ Harvey “Before Departure”
04. Farao “To Sleep Apart”
05. Bulgarian National Folk Ensemble Pirin “Vila Sei Gora”
06. Douglas Dare “Rex (Solo Version)”
07. Alex Kozobolis “Weightless”
08. Angelica’s Elegy “Pictures of the Moon”
09. Björk “Dark Matter”
10. Daniel Rossen “Saint Nothing”
11. Elliot Smith “Pictures of Me”
12. Douglas Dare “Venus (Solo Version)”
13. Steve Reich “Come Out”
When and where was the mix recorded?
The mix was recorded in a variety of locations and times; some of my original tracks were recorded at Paul Epworth’s Church Studios last December, and other the opening track is a demo recording at home just last week.
What equipment did you record the mix on?
At the Church Studio we used the vintage EMI Neve console—one of the rarest desks in the world.
Where did you intend the mix to be listened to?
At home. The best way to listen is with headphones, sitting in the dark or laying down.
How does the mix differ from one of your regular performances?
This mix is very intimate and melancholic. I might only play one song like this in a live set. Knowing people can listen to this mix in their own time I’ve been more indulgent.
You are set to release a new LP on Erased Tapes. How do you feel the sound and style of this release differs to your earlier work? Do you feel that it marks a maturity in your sound?
Before recording my latest album I said it was important that I don’t repeat what I’ve done before; I wanted the sound to be bigger and more bold—the first record was essentially piano and voice and now there’s guitars, a brass band and a choir. The subject of album is also a lot more personal and direct and yes; I think this has certainly made for a more mature sound.
Is there a idea/moment behind each one of your songs, or do they normally result from jamming?
Each song has a very specific idea behind it. I do a lot or research behind the song and often write many verses before editing it down. We did however, begin the recording sessions by playing all the songs live in order to find the right feel. This was a whole new approach for myself and my producer/drummer.