London Trip-Hop Archives

Dissolved Girl – Dirty Tricks: A Sonic Cathedral of Scorned Serenity

Posted on 31 December 2024

With Dirty Tricks, the fourth release from London-based Dissolved Girl, the band chartered new cinematic indietronica territory by carving out a darkly meditative edge that sets it apart from their previous work.

Opening with the evocative toll of a church bell, the track unfurls into a misty, textural soundscape where trip-hop undertones intertwine with seductively measured vocals. As trippy effects cascade around poetic lyricism, the band’s sonic complexity effortlessly lures you into its gravitational pull.

Dissolved Girl’s devotion to raw emotion and sophistication is palpable in every aspect of Dirty Tricks. The juxtaposition of serene delivery with scornful, imagery-rich intensity underscores their ethos that ferocity doesn’t need to be loud to leave its mark.

Produced by Dani Castelar—whose previous credits include two No. 1 albums with Paolo Nutini—and mastered by Matt Colton (Arctic Monkeys, Michael Kiwanuka, Royal Blood), the single showcases their unflinching dedication to being purveyors of beguiling stylised alchemy which is as resonant as it is refined.

Dirty Tricks dropped on December 20; stream it on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The ‘Reckoning’ is Here, in the Form of Dissolved Girl’s Darkly Dystopic Trip-Hop Debut

Posted on 27 November 2023

With the juxtaposing vocal samples setting the cinematically disquiet tone as efficaciously as the harbingeringly dark electronic synthetics, which delve far beyond the dark depths of PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, and Portishead, Dissolved Girl made one hell of an entrance with their debut single, Reckoning.

The haunting anthem for a world teetering on the brink of collapse is a dystopian masterpiece, which encapsulates the unease and turmoil of contemporary times with its perturbed tones and intricately layered instrumentals. We all knew a reckoning was coming, but who would have known it would be delivered by a London-based four-piece with a penchant for the alt-90s, alt-rock, and hip-hop? Dissolved Girl not only captures the essence of an impending societal storm but also delivers a sense of catharsis – a release that fans didn’t realise they needed until it was upon them.

Forward-thinking and accessible in equal measure, the debut is a stark testament to their ability to innovate within the modern music scene. We can’t wait to hear the debut LP, which has been four years in the crafting, with the help of producer Dani Castelar and mastering engineer Matt Colton. The attention to detail paid off immensely; each note and nuance served the song’s brooding atmosphere and intensified the listener’s experience to the nth degree.

In an industry saturated with fleeting trends and disposable hits, Dissolved Girl stands as a beacon for those who crave depth, complexity, and sincerity in their playlists.

Reckoning debuted on November 13th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast