PRESS
“According to her bio, Deya Dova grew up in Ceduna, on the edges of the Nullarbor in South Australia. Although given Dova’s other-worldly approach to world music, the truth may be something closer to the edges of the milky way. A true triple threat (singer/songwriter/producer), Dova has carved her own niche, and perhaps even created her own genre in the making, with the release of her third album Burst.
Dova’s sound is hard to pin down. One part world music, one part rave, sprinkled with pop, techno, trance and progressive. The end result is an upfront, diverse album full of songs that resonate long after the music stops playing. A collector by nature, Dova has amassed an impressive library of sounds, samples and influences. These have been finely tuned and mastered with co-producer Luke Chable, who draws a rich sound from Dova’s beautifully written and earnestly performed material.
Exquisitely produced, Dova’s album has a spotlessly clean yet ethereal quality reminiscent of The Knife or Bjork and yet completely, refreshingly, unique. Beginning with the glorious Kyio – which is already receiving considerable airplay in clubs via the various remixes available on the single – Dova’s hippie-child lyrics evoke swirling images of endless outback skies stretching up into the heavens. This is grounded by a deep rumbling bass and squelchy tech-house beat.
Bad Day (or ‘buhd dei’ in Dova’s distinctive dialect) incorporates a bluesy piano riff, as well as sound grabs of sighs and bird song and doors slamming, all centred by a blinking synth pulse and cheery ‘la la la ‘ chorus. The title track, Burst, emanates a Trentemoller esque solemnity and toughness, juxtaposed with unexpected elements such as a mournful fiddle and middle ages’ harpsichord. Dova’s fairytale lyrics, crisply and expertly captured, effortlessly convey a sense of yearning, of need.
In a seamless piece of programming, we shift from here to the joyful Jellyfish; a super-funky breakbeat track, coupled with Dova’s jazzy/scatty party time vocals, showcasing the melodic ability and overall coolness of the album. Embrace slithers seductively, and Hyperglider creates an effective bush doof vibe, while Petal has a depth of sound that nearly overcomes the gentleness of Dova’s vocals.
Twinkle introduces the didgeridoo, referencing Dova’s childhood growing up amongst the Wilyarnie people, and builds to a confident, intoxicating, tribal slam. The highlight for me, as an old progger, was Experiment Zero, which excited and surprised; playing with sounds not heard since Cass & Slide gave up the game. Dova’s vocals sigh and soar gorgeously above a rolling prog/trance epic.
It’s amazing to me that an artist of this talent doesn’t have a much higher profile. Perhaps sadly, like fellow South Australian Sia Furler, it will require overseas audiences to embrace Dova before the rest of us catch onto her brilliance.”
“Deya Dova’s album ‘Burst’ was among many discs we’ve got on our little shelf of albums to listen to and review. But now that we have, we’ve got to say we’re rather glad we did and can’t believe we waited so long to do so.
South Australian based Deya has been slowly weaving her spell on an unsuspecting Australian public through her mesmerizing live shows across Australia, but until now, she’s been largely ignored by mainstream radio. And it’s a damned shame, ’cause her new album ‘Burst’ is full of incredibly catchy, edgy, captivating, clever pop music.
Deya’s previous offerings have been largely experimental in sound, but with ‘Burst’, she travels down the electro pop track with an assuredness and style that some of today’s mainstream pop vixens could learn from. It’s stylish, lush and dreamy.
‘Bad Day’, sprinkled with electronic bleeps and scratches (and the occasional bird song), is the kind of stuff Australia’s falling in love with La Roux for – except it’s home grown. Album title track ‘Burst’ is hot – blending middle-eastern spices with clicky beats, synths and Deya’s dreamy vocal.
Pulsing, hypnotic beats and more scratches follow on ‘Jellyfish’, things become slightly more experimental on ‘Embrace’, before we head back for a dessert of more luscious middle eastern orchestration on ‘Petal’.
‘Twinkle’ takes us to the dancefloor for a thumping club outing that somehow reminds of Faithless’ ‘Insomnia’ and ‘Hyperglider’ mixes dance beats with some Trentemoller-esque electronic wizardry.
While ‘Burst’ may not be to everyone’s taste, be assured, it’s an extraordinarily solid body of work – plenty of cool chic sounds, that magically blend electronics with pop and a distinctly world vibe. Ms Dova’s crafted an album that deserves to be heard.”
Bloc Party (in their ONLY Australian show), The Flaming Lips, Janes Addiction, MGMT (also in their ONLY Australian show), Hilltop Hoods, Grinspoon, Midnight Juggernauts, The Specials, Sarah Blasko, Augie March, Josh Pyke, Friendly Fires, Little Birdy, Birds Of Tokyo, The Gutter Twins, Manchester Orchestra, Yuksek, Bob Evans, White Lies, Kram, Yves Klein Blue, Decoder Ring, Lost Valentinos, Leader Cheetah, Jack Ladder, The Middle East, Polaroid Fame and Glass Towers are joined by Happy Mondays (in their ONLY Australian show), Doves, Architecture In Helsinki, You Am I, The Beautiful Girls, Downsyde & Drapht, Kisschasy, Little Red, Bluejuice, Children Collide, Miami Horror Live, Art vs. Science, Paul Dempsey, Dappled Cities, Dananananaykroyd, Holly Throsby, Bridezilla and DEYA DOVA
