It’s been roughly four years since Chris Childs (Hello Ocho, Faun and a Pan Flute) decided to move away from traditional composition. No longer did he want to focus on writing notes on a page with the intention of performing a piece live. Instead, he wanted to shift his attention to composing within a recording and production setting. To pursue this path, he used some savings to build a custom computer and started learning everything he could about engineering, production, synthesizers, MIDI—anything that would expand his purview as a composer and producer. But after a few years of experimenting, all Childs had to show for it was a hard drive full of incomplete ideas. Despite all his hard work and perseverance, he couldn’t settle on a direction. Nothing seemed to stick.

“I figured if I just kept at it I would find it,” Childs says. “I was wrong. So I put down my own projects and started scoring music for independent short films. That helped build out my skill sets in production even more, and I was getting really excited about pursuing that path further. I still am, actually.”

Just as Childs was beginning to build some momentum as a film composer, however, along came the pandemic. Scoring opportunities became scarce and once again he was forced to change gears. In search of inspiration, he began examining his old hard drive. To his surprise, he found several snippets of ideas that glimmered with new promise. So he challenged himself to develop them further. Eventually, after revisiting more of these fragments, he began to see the outlines of an aesthetic forming. A new path was opening up and Childs cast himself headlong to see where the vision led.

Two years later, the journey heads to its inevitable conclusion as Childs prepares for the release of his new LP, The Fool. Billed as a collection of “percussive synth drones and symphonic landscapes,” the mostly instrumental album is a deeply cinematic work that offers a kaleidoscope of arresting textures and warm, lucid tones. Lead single “Dori,” which we’re excited to premiere today, unwinds patiently with each delicate shift placed strategically to maximize impact. It’s the sort of alluring, windswept soundscape that draws you in and caresses you with its magnetic force and continual blossoming. The track’s haunting vocals, provided by Karaoke’s Grace Bellury, add an aura of moody drama that only intensifies the song’s narcotic atmosphere.

“Musically it feels very representative of the core aspects of my style and tone on this record,” says Childs. “Grace’s involvement absolutely makes the song to me. It existed as an instrumental for about a year, and I always imagined it being the kind of track that would lend itself well to sung lyrics, specifically Grace’s tendency towards poignant lyrics and dark melodies… It’s become a very powerful song to me since she got involved in it, giving it even more reason to feature it as the single on the album.”

Listen below.

Scheduled for release on Feb. 18, The Fool is available for pre-order now on Bandcamp. To help celebrate the release, Childs will host a one-time album listening event on Feb. 17. Tickets are available here.

“It’s very limited capacity,” he explains. “I’m only selling 50 tickets. It’s going to be an immersive, audio-visual kind of experience. The event location is off-the-grid, but if you buy a ticket the location will be sent to you the week of the show. Also, if you buy a ticket, you’ll get a free download of the album.”

More Info
Web: chrischildsmusic.com
Bandcamp: chrischilds.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @chrischildsmusic