Doprah - Doprah EP

By Poppy Tohill

Released Tuesday June 10th, 2014 - Arch Hill

Forming in 2012, Doprah who consist of Steven Marr and Indira Forcehave already released a handful of exquisite singles to critical acclaim, two of which went to #1 on the NZ Alternative Charts. June 9th however, saw the release of their first (self titled) EP.  With Marr handling production duties and Force the vocal majority, their combination and experiment of sounds woven together make for a striking listen throughout the EP's five tracks.

As the EP opens with ‘Stranger People,' you're immediately drawn in by the ostentatious beat as the raw and unique vocals of Force' and beautiful simplicity of the vocals complement the complex layers of sound, which she blends in and out of.

Released last year as a single, the intriguing and spacey 'San Pedro' follows. Beginning simply with a captivating intergalactic type sound, which once again immediately draws you in. A kick drum then slowly begins to work its way into the track, adding a touch of rhythm before the use of consistent clicks and bells begins over the understated drum beats, as the track grows more chaotic with the entrance of Force's vocals followed by more flares of interesting sounds, which delayed and layered continue to build and fade throughout the entire track. Being a big fan of this song when it was first released as a single, admittedly it still remains my ultimate favourite track on the whole EP.

Although the most simple track on the entire EP, ‘Whatever You Want' is a great tune, which truly showcases the effectiveness of their original and simplistic sound. With just a repetitive drum beat, which will remain, stuck in your head for quite some time and Force's voice in the intro, with additional sounds from the guitar, the highlight of this track is definitely the harmony of voices when Marr joins in.

Filled with sultry female vocals, 'Love That I Need' is the best track in terms of showcasing Doprah's distinctive original sound along with Force's unique vocals, which undoubtedly have the power to put you in a trance.

Drawing the EP to an end a similar way they started it, this time with a remix of their track ‘Stranger People' byRace Banyon. I believe this somewhat perfectly bookended the entire EP. Although it may not have been necessarily relevant to absolutely have to include this track on the EP, the remix adds a nice touch to the already great tune. Creating what I would say is maybe even a slightly better version of the original.

Overall however, this is certainly a fantastic debut release from Doprah, which they should be undoubtedly very proud of, as it is bound to earn them some more well deserved momentum throughout the alternative music world.

4/5