Freidrich$ releases brand new EP

Wrapped in elaborate makeup and surrounded by an intentionally elusive mythology, Freidrich$ has built his artistic identity around the space between mystery and confession. He exists somewhere between performer, apparition and conduit for sound, with his origins remaining deliberately unclear, with stories imagining him as everything from a ghost summoned from static between frequencies to a solitary figure working in dimly lit studios.

Within the mythology however, the music offers something more tangible; strange, intimate transmissions informed by atmosphere, conviction and a steadfast interest with the unsettling edges of self-reflection. The sense of atmosphere has always been central to Freidrich$’ work, resulting in music that moves between beauty and disquiet. Over the last couple of years, his studio releases have presented a fiercely individual sonic world, with multiple EPs and full-length records expanding the project, drifting through brooding electronica, hip hop, fragmented art pop, R&B and alternagive rock.

Freidrich$ has made no attempt at fitting into an established scene and as such, the music feels as though it exists somewhere slightly to the side of everything else, carrying the strange familiarity of a dream that might disappear the moment you try to explain it. Collaborations with producers including Zephyr have introduced further perspectives but the solitary nature of the project remains crucial to the artistic world he’s building. That world developed further on the recent album We’re A Long, Long Way From Home, where the outsider-art R&B that’s become associated with Freidrich$ grew beyond its earlier sketches. Intimacy, minimalism and rough edges remained intact but the scale became more ambitious.

Now, with his brand new EP titled Doll, Here I Am, that distance between artist and listener narrows even more. The new EP strips away much of the processing that’s previously obscured and transformed Freidrich$’ vocals. Effects, distortion and layers of production recede, leaving his voice unusually exposed, where it cracks, talks, sings, jokes, boasts, pleads and remembers, sometimes sounding as though it has momentarily forgotten anyone else is listening.

At the centre of Doll, Here I Am is an almost painfully simple desire to be noticed, with repeated pleas for attention and affection running through the record, turning the ‘doll’ of the title into a fluid concept. It can be a particular person, an absent lover, an imagined audience or a projection of years of romantic disappointment. Love thematically becomes an awkwardly human need for tenderness, complicated by the awareness of how ridiculous that need can sometimes feel.

“After Life” sets up the release with soft instrumental tones before Freidrich$’s vocals enter and by eschewing over-processing, his voice arrives as emotionally exposed. Layering up above the dreamy arrangement before punchy beats inject bouncy energy, the track shifts into an energising alternative pop sound. “A Try” follows with hazy keys of murky electronic atmosphere as the intricate rattle of percussion builds up around Freidrich$’s slick vocal delivery, offering an alternative hip hop sound cut with emotive lyricism and moody tone.

“Up in Our Lives” flows with shimmering instrumentation and lively vocalisations while the bounce of the beat and pulse of bass sets up an engaging alternative R&B scene capped by expressive vocal performance. “Adore Me” lands with the bubble of muted synth notes as the rustle of shuffling beats and laid back rapped vocals combine to craft an immersive listening experience with a track that’s moving, invigorating and instantly catchy all at once.

With “Wine / The Bardo State,” the intricate taps of hi hat and overlapping vocal layers is met by the impact of the grooving beat to form a bright and memorable moment on the EP. Closing the release with “Food For Da Moon / Live Again,” a mesmeric blend of vocal samples and gentle instrumentation ushers in Freidrich$’s smooth vocal leads before the intense strike of drums takes the track into a driving alternative hip hop space to offer an epic finale to Freidrich$’s new EP.

Listen to Doll, Here I Am below