SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DEBORAH FIALKIEWICZ – DAUGHTERS OF THE INDUSTRIALISTS

Deborah Fialkiewicz
Daughters Of The Industrialists
Independent

Deborah Fialkiewicz describes herself as a “Transgender experimental electronic musician”. However, labels only tell part of her story. She has carved out a remarkable career and produced some of the most original and interesting music in the past few years. And she has been making music for a number of years, either as a part of a band/collective or a solo artist. Everything she does is unique and different from her other releases. One is never sure what they will hear. From her work with Spore to Venus Child to Feasibility Study, where it is a bit more noisier, to the trippy ambient music of, say, “Sparkle”.  And those three projects are just the tip of the iceberg

Her latest album, Daughters Of The Industrialists is a compilation of some older tracks and a few previously unreleased songs added in. This gives those who are not overly familiar with her own distinct music a chance to sample one small part of her career. This album focuses on her ambient side, which is interesting and full of brilliant music. Fialkiewicz has been experimenting with sound and music since she began recording. In fact, the first single off of the album is a remix of a track by her older band Feasibility Study, “Orange”.

Although originally released in 2020 (on the album The Pleasure Garden), “Orange” sounds as new and fits in with the album perfectly. In fact, Fialkiewicz is a wizard of sequencing. The album opens with the beautiful “Sparkle”, a very layered, mellow excursion into sound, which leads into “Angel”. “Angel” comes from a one-off radio show, and it is a brilliant piece of music. It continues with the ambient side of things, but has a bit more bite to it, by track five, “Orange”, more energy is infused and the layered sounds become much more prominent. That is the beauty of Fialkiewicz’s music, her ability to layer sounds and electronics to form a solid sound that seems almost otherworldly.

“Mothtail” is a good example of this. Previously released as a single, it is great to have it as part of an album. The sound of the moth in the song is startling yet calming at the same. Is the moth in distress or just exploring. The listener decides. Either way, the slow build of the backing just creates an incredible mood. But just as one is lulled into to the tail of the moth, “Alkagi” pops up. “Akagi” was originally created for an anime album, here it adds to the flow of the album. This is also best enjoyed with headphones. There is a lot going on in this incredible song with rhythmic layered sounds. This leads into the wonderful and distinct “Waning Moon”. Again, it is the use of the sounds with the ambient base that sets this song apart from the others. It features some interesting sounds combined with a very chilled and trippy base.

And, all too soon, the album comes to a close with “Crystal Rain”. It is a wonderful closing track to Daughters Of The Industrialists. This compilation is near perfect.  It has a beautiful flow, leaning heavily on the ambient side of her talent, while at the same demonstrating her ability to put together a wonderful introduction to one aspect of her music. The album is sequenced perfectly and leaves the audience wanting more. It is a gateway into the music of a multi-talented artist who has recorded classical, pop, dance and ambient right up through to ‘noise’. Enjoy Daughters Of The Industralists then dip your toes into her vast catalogue of incredible music.

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