DORA LACHAISE & JONNI SLATER – SIGN ON THE DOOR

Here at the Send Me Your Ears studio today, we’ve been listening to the latest single from Glasgow Scotland artists, Dora Lachaise & Jonni Slater. Sign on the Door was released on March 29th 2023, and is, quite simply, a stunningly creative work of art.

Inspired by Nick Cave’s duets with Kylie Minogue and PJ Harvey, Dora Lachaise and Jonni Slater decided to write together. Jonni’s love for Cold War-era novels and films sparked Sign on the Door, with his character on the run from Dora’s determined agent of the law. Watch the accompanying video, it is as evocative as the song itself.

Sign On The Door begins with sparse and interesting pads and synths before Dora’s gentle and exposed vocals join the mix. Jonni’s vocals take the lead halfway through the first verse. The minimal cathedral-like reverb works extremely well here, giving both vocalists the chance to show the gentle and more vulnerable side of their vocal abilities.

For the first half of the song, the listener is treated to a wholly captivating and engaging exchange of vocals, with contrasting melodies and sparse instrumentation. Hanging on to every lyric, we were absolutely enthralled.

At around halfway through, the song builds into a fantastic Andrew Lloyd Webber, Phantom of the Opera, feeling song, with some spectacular use of church organs. The euphoric build takes the listener on a true journey and we are treated to some very fine examples of the versatility of the vocalists here. The power and passion conveyed in this second half contrast superbly with the earlier, more vulnerable sections.

The rise and fall portrayed in this song is second to none, and you’ll feel you’ve been taken on a rollercoaster ride by the end of it. We love the octave vocal addition in the male vocal section, and the use of filtered drums here is inspired, together with some beautifully panned 12-string (?) guitars.

Ideas from our ears

A large (6dB?) and fairly wide boost centred around 3.5kHz alongside another large high shelf boost set around 9kHz would considerably increase the brightness and presence in the overall track, especially noticeable in the fuller, rockier section. A hi-pass filter set around 40Hz would also remove the sub-bass rumble in this section. As always, these are just some ideas from our ears.

Final thoughts

What a stunning introduction to the music of Dora Lachaise & Jonni Slater . Sign on the Door is a beautifully crafted emotional performance, guaranteed to impress fans of dark pop/ art pop and cinematic productions. Highly recommended.

https://www.doralachaise.com/
https://www.facebook.com/doralachaise
https://twitter.com/doralachaise
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0jEDOCQLdPCimm0UXmjxNP?si=PLxPIMd1TayPK_NNk1wFMg
https://www.soundcloud.com/jonnislater
https://jonnislater.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/jonnislater
https://www.instagram.com/doralachaise/