22 Feb 2016 // A review by HUPH

Christchurch based trip-hoppers Doprah continue their stellar trajectory with the release of their debut full-length LP Wasting. The six piece band has been hard at it in the studio for over three years and the result is a fine record.

While comparisons to Massive Attack and The XX are warranted, Doprah’s dark, ambient pop songs clearly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with such illustrious peers rather than paying homage to them. All this is achieved with a balanced mix of electronic beats and effects alongside traditional instruments, particularly melodic and often sparse guitar where the space in between playing is as important as what is being played.

Indira Force’s vocals are the icing on Doprah’s particularly fine cake, recalling Bjork and occasionally The Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser. The songs themselves flit between the more poppy Borderline to the throbbing San Pedro and on to the atmospheric, if not downright cinematic, Wormhole. The variety of songs here leads you to conclude that Doprah is a band on top of its game, and while the songs have a different feel, there is no doubt that Wasting stands up as a very ‘together’ record, and one that deserves to be heard over and over again.

Doprah are the duo Steven Marr and Indira Force. They formed in 2012 and hail from Christchurch. They have released a number of singles to critical acclaim, two of which went to #1 on their Alternative Chart. Doprah were the support for Lorde at her post-Grammy homecoming show in Auckland and were part of 2014's Laneway Festival. In the studio Marr handles production duties and Force the the majority of vocals. Their sound is not so much international as intergalactic - noise that stretches outwards and inward as if concocted in a particularly colorful area of your mind. For the live show the duo adds an additional 4 people to the mix resulting in an immersive experience.

"We’re lost, but we’re safe. We’re doomed, but we know it. And there’s a strange peace to be found in this wasteland." - Yours Truly

"Beautifully understated compositions rooted in Radiohead’s family of theremin synths and the weaving texture of male and female vocals." - Pigeons and Planes

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