Dorothy of the Day is a solo vocal loops project by Australian singer Rachel Holmshaw. She uses as her point of departure the atmosphere of Hollywood Broadway musical films of the 1930s, in particular the geometry and repetition of the often epic choreography of Busby Berkeley films.

Using just her voice and a loop pedal she creates her musical landscapes live. Her pieces develop gradually, each vocal tone losing its individuality with every new layer. The temptation with a loop pedal is to reinterpret the one-man band, to defy the constraints of a conventional multiplayer scenario and be musically self-sufficient. Rachel’s intention however, is to use the loop pedal not as a means to an end, but to play it as an instrument, to utilise its limitations and to showcase its characteristics and boundaries. In doing so, her music is repetitive and slow building, unable to dazzle with sharp musical changes in melody or form. She strives for the appreciation of a moment that is repeated yet slightly altered with every cycle. Her aim is to crystalise a nuance and set it in motion. Layer by layer she evokes the warm charm and nostalgic lustre of black and white celluloid, coaxing the listener into a hypnotic, nostalgic dream world.

She released her first vocal loops album Sketches for Something Altogether Larger as Dorothy of the Day in 2009 and is currently recording her second: Something Altogether Larger.

http://dorothyoftheday.com/