Circuit Des Yeux - “Sculpting the Exodus”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…Bjork, Julia Holter, U.S. Girls

Highly experimental and filled with tension, Circuit Des Yeux’s fourth full-length -io is an orchestral burst of cinematic drama. Tones ranging from gothic pop to electro-R&B inhabit the music of -io, bleeding themes track to track with budding intensity. Haley Fohr’s deep, alto vocal mixes classical and new wave influences into gospel futurism throughout -io, an entrancing and unique instrument that perfectly matches the consistently rich compositions bubbling underneath. SXSW should be about finding something unique and powerful and Circuit Des Yeux’s music is intently that, an artist crafting her own beautifully somber course on -io. (Kevin McStravick)

2020 Review: Mostly living in a remarkably low register, Fohr’s vocals have natural texture and drama even when delivered in a bass-like ambiance, but she can stretch too, like being unleashed after giving in to all the walls around her. That operatic tone is not just sung, but also growled and experimentally breathed, truly using the voice as an instrument rather than just conveying melody. “Black Fly” is perhaps the best introduction even though it takes the listener on a seven-plus-minute adventure, but that’s kind of the point. Movements of post rock and chamber folk grandeur underly the stunning single.