Rachel Langlais’ first solo album, Dothe, is simultaneously beautiful and whimsical, but situated at a crossroads where its conceptual edge meets surprising harmonies. Langlais is a piano tuner by trade and the depth of these prepared piano explorations and their intonation and balance show how this ability colors her artistic practice.
On an album of memorable moments, “Thangen” especially stands out. Muted tones repeat with certainty, the tuning changing the resonant shapes, sounds becoming alien and abstract. Langlais pulls back from the brink, chord changes blooming into a tranquil consciousness before finally finding rest. Gaëlle Jacq & Mat Bert’s lovely video encapsulates these feelings in vivid colors and surprise details. Ink spots expand, growing into still shapes as Langlais’s music finds its crystalline form. Divergent paths come together in colorful, meaningful ways, bringing it all back home.
Dothe is out now via unjenesaisquoi.
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