Dame Zine Present Experimental Folktronica with Latest ‘Fairytales’
Dame Zina is the musical banner of a French singer-songwriter and actress. All her releases are swept up in theatrical portrayals of the theme. It is amazing how with her vocals, she is able to manipulate the energy and emotional flows within each soundscape. The artist, in collaboration with her father, has just released her third album, ‘Fairytales’.
The fourteen track collection blends classical folk with contemporary electronica and neo-classicals to transport you worlds of human mystique and magic. Across the album, you can also see influences of electro-rock (Emerald Eyes) and dance pop (House or Zina) from their previously released albums. But, for the most part, this collection is a whirl of delightful experimentation and fairy folklore. Listen Now!
1. Fairytales is such a unique album. Each track forks into nuanced conceptual and emotional spheres. The imagination is powered by experiment and emotion. What sparked the creation of this collection?
We made several music project together before, each with a different direction, for example, house of Zina our previous album was about our songs that make people dance. This one is about magic and just like old tales, the power of myths and fairytales to express important subjects about our life : emotions, struggles, love… I believe in magic and it’s power on our « real » daily world. I want to cultivate it!!
‘Witch Circle’ was one of the earliest features from the album. With its dark throes of melody and melodrama, it is touched by experimental vocal and background accents. In a space of conventional evocation, the artist introduces gritty synths and rippling melodies. And soon, the vocals start taking cues. Tracks like ‘Alone’, ‘Fatalités’, and ‘Once upon a time’ are crafted with a similar design. Alongside Zina’s vocal versatility, her father’s ability to transform its essential projections are prolific.
‘On a Rainbow’, ‘Lullaby for a fairy’ and ‘Morphée’ are vocal centric stages that are vested with worlds of their own. Zina’s angelic French narratives are burnished by beautiful scenes of mellow synths. ‘Dragons and Fairies’ is an interesting track. There’s so much concept, sophistication and folklore. Set in a hyperactive maze of drum and bass, it indicates to the alien, yet magical presence of dragons and fairies.
2. There’s a lot of styles and genres that you reference across the album. How would you two describe your styles, both individually and collectively?
We usually refer to our style as « synth pop », it’s the same style as Bjork of Kate bush. We also often use « rock » and « electro », given that we make most of our music with a computer! Mixing genres is what we love, music is an art and we hate having to fit in a box!
3. Y’all have been officially releasing music for over four years now? And as dad and daughter, you have found a unique and special frequency. How did the whole thing get started?
Funny thing : we never thought we’d make music together before. I sang my whole life, acted on stage regularly and even have a jazz band when I was 17, and my dad always made music, from piano when he was a boy to sound engineering at the prestigious cinema school Louis Lumiere. Our duo started randomly, as he was making his own documentary about reality and decided to make the music for it himself. He asked me to try to sing on one of his instrumentals and it worked so well we recorded about ten songs that week, in 2019. We used the instrumentals he had made and poems I had written, that we transformed into songs!
Across the album, the listener can’t help but notice the novelty rhythms and beat cycles used to elevate the theme. It especially shines in tracks like ‘Master Goddess’ and ‘La Nuit’. It presents so intuitively that it almost seems like an ad hoc reaction to the melodic flow. It points towards the instinctive imagination and creativity of the producer.
4. What role do you think experimentation and exploration play in your compositions?
It’s all of it!! We are always experimenting, it’s the most important things when it comes to art and creation I believe.
5. What are some of the values that you absorbed from each other that make you better musicians and artists?
My dad is a real explorer of boundaries, I feel safe singing with him, and he encourages me to always try new things! I think he got morals from me, that’s what a lot of my songs are about : feminism, gay rights…
6. What can we look forward to in the future from Dame Zina?
We are currently working on a single which will be a bonus track for our album Fairytales : Eau, to be released January 19th with a music video!
The artists present the ancient and mythic secrets of the woods with a contemporary spin. With experimental techniques and interpretations, these tracks are conceived and composed with a unique vision.
Explore : http://www.apollosharp.in/blog/the-pulltops-make-me-smile-is-a-heartwarming-acoustic-rock-serenade
The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music!
You can listen to ‘Fairytales’ by Dame Zina here -
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
