Daniel Davies Readies New Album ‘Signals’; Listen To “Phantom Waltz”

Daniel Davies has been quietly making a name for himself for years now. First as a guitarist in bands like Year Long Disaster, Karma To Burn, and CKY, then in 2015 he began working with his Godfather John Carpenter. With Carpenter, as well as Carpenter’s son Cody, Davies helped create Lost Themes, Lost Themes II, and Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998. He eventually helped create the score for David Gordon Green’s Halloween, along with John and Cody Carpenter.

In 2018 Davies released his solo LP debut, the haunting Events Score. Events Score showcased Daniel Davies knack for creating moody, stylish pieces that at their core carried a sense of melancholy. Otherworldly melodies created on vintage analog synths that while eerie on the surface, had a beating heart at their core. In 2019 Davies scored the Belgian documentary Soeurs de Glisse, which further showcased Davies compositional talents.

On February 28th Daniel Davies returns with his Sacred Bones Records’ debut Signals. Signals is a collaboration between Davies and visual artist Jesse Draxler. Draxler’s ghostly mixed media was a jumping off point for Davies’ compositions this time around, leading him in exciting and thought-provoking directions.

“I had an instant connection to Jesse’s art,” Davies explains. “One of the main concepts for this album was working with the feeling of uncertainty. Jesse’s art illustrates that perfectly with his disruptive shapes. At first, they are foreign to the landscapes they live in, but over time we become used to them, we adjust. The foreign objects force us to evolve, to accept and live with the uncertainty they create.”

“Phantom Waltz” rides on a baroque harpsichord line throughout the track, as well as dreamy synth and brooding drums. There’s a robotic quality to the work that works well with the track’s 3/4 time. Gothic and Giallo moods come together with an almost futurist lean to make an extremely engaging introduction to the world of Signals.

Signals arrives February 28th, 2020 on Sacred Bones Records. Listen to “Phantom Waltz” below, and preorder Daniel Davies’ Signals here.