There must be something in the water in Melbourne city. In the last couple of years, the neighbourhood has been pumping out talent, one after the other, making its mark on the Australian music scene like a cockroach infestation (in the best way possible). City kid DoloRRes is just one of those making his rounds on the scene – his cheeky, ultra-niche lyricism hiding Easter eggs that point to a kid growing up well acquainted with the localities of the area.
My favourite line will always be I’ve been to A1 so much I’m seeing Zata’ar in my sleep bruh [Fluffy Dice].
Videos by VICE
I’ve heard DoloRRes described as Australia’s answer to Slowthai. In some ways, it seems true: Both artists have an unrivalled energy on and off the stage (DoloRRes is a repeat offender of stage diving), both are incredibly creative when it comes to the conceptual nature of their artistry and both are experimental with their music. But I wouldn’t compare DoloRRes to other artists. He’s one of a kind.
The stickers that have now become synonymous with DoloRRres – a stretched out grinning mouth with an oversized green nose and red eyes – can be seen all over Sydney and Melbourne.
Seeing them constantly reminds me of his debut EP It’s All Happening Somewhere Else. It was one of the best releases from an Australian artist in 2021.
Though DoloRRes has said that the six-tracks don’t necessarily represent the artist that he is now (he started recording the EP back in 2018), it still sounds idiosyncratic to him. That’s an exciting thing, considering it can take well-established artists years to get to this point. For him, it seems natural.
While “Heely’s”, arguably his most popular release, is a bass heavy, celestial jam, standout favourites are “Overkill”, a bittersweet guitar-laden slow burner, and opener track “How It Feels!!!” which reminds me of Outkast’s “Prototype”.
His latest track, “All Is Full Of Love”, is different altogether. It’s kind of confusing, and the voice is highly auto-tuned. But it works.
Through his own admission, DoloRRes’ creative process is inconsistent. It makes sense that the sounds across his discography differ. But I’ve always been slightly suspicious of this statement, because everything DoloRRes does seems close to perfect and meticulously thought out.
And that’s probably because of the team he has behind him. During his live shows the band wear matching uniforms styled by the discerning eye behind Hermann Studios, George McGrath, the stage is decked in DoloRRes merchandise, the concept is well-thought out, and his music videos are (no joke) world class (longtime friend and collaborator Renee Kypriotis can be thanked for that).
The only thing that the label “inconsistent” could be put down to is the fact that you never know what to expect next: whether that be in his shows, his unreleased music, or his videos. It’s one of the best things about him.
DoloRRes is experimental, exciting, and you’ll constantly be guessing what’s coming up next.
Follow Julie Fenwick on Twitter and Instagram.
Read more from VICE Australia.
