New Orleans transgressor Dawn Richard has today shared new EP ‘The Architect’, via Merge Records.
Since the inception of her solo career, Richard has bypassed the rubrics of conventional releases. ‘The Architect’ is no different: envisioned as a continuous piece, the 14-minute project is a dose of exquisite experimental-pop alchemy. ‘Your Love / Legends’ transitions from an industrial-techno opening to a fragmented breakbeat anthem; previously-released single ‘Bubblegum’ is programmed RnB beamed in from the future, and ‘Babe Ruth’ – released alongside a video today – is a new age electronic hybrid.
Of The Architect, Richard says: “I’ve always had a fascination with the concept of a ‘traditional single release.’ How the industry tells you, in order to have a successful single, it has to be a certain amount of minutes to be played on radio, or streamed, or on a chart. I say fuck that. I never agreed with that construct. I wanted to create a single that was similar to a conceptual album. If you take away the idea that it has to be for radio, that it has to be a clean edit, that it has to be a specific thing in order to be successful, what would be the outcome? Epoch 1.”
Watch the video for ‘Babe Ruth’ here…
Next month, Richard will head overseas to perform at Pitchfork London and the London Jazz Festival.
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Photo Credit: Brit O’Brien
