‘Curly Hair’ is a collaborative release from composer Ralph Heidel and avant-garde artist Douglas Dare. It’s a stunningly intricate piece that allows layers of flute and virtuosic saxophone melodies to blend into a bed of warped electronic sounds and Dare’s fragile vocal, creating an emotive baroque pop experience. “Sometimes I write music with a certain mood in mind how I want to feel, but where I’m not yet,” explains Heidel. “When I sent it to Douglas, I didn’t tell them anything about what I intended with the music, so I wasn’t influencing their first instinct. Douglas wrote lyrics about a good friend who battled cancer and her hair grew back curly. What beautiful lyrics about hope and acceptance.” Check out the live recording of the track and be on the lookout for Heidel’s new album, anyways.onto better things, when it drops on February 21st, 2025. -Dan Peeke