T.O.L.D. creates music that feels like a religious experience for the secular age. It is built on massive, shimmering synth pads and vocal harmonies so heavily layered they begin to resemble a digital choir. The sound is wide and expansive, often evoking the vastness of the California desert where Daniel James Smith relocated, yet it retains a British sensibility for melodic hooks and structural precision.
What truly distinguishes this project is the juxtaposition of 'big' pop production with deeply heavy, existential themes. While the beats might lean toward the dancefloor or a cinematic soundtrack, the lyrics grapple with mortality, spirituality, and the human condition. It is 'stadium pop' for the internal world, using the tools of modern electronica to build a sanctuary of sound.
Start with 'Lucifer’s Eyes' to understand the core aesthetic: a bright, steel-drum-inflected rhythm paired with hauntingly beautiful vocal stacks. From there, move to the debut album 'It's Not About the Witches' for a full immersion into his high-gloss, spiritual art-pop universe.
Daniel James Smith, known professionally as T.O.L.D. (The Order of Life and Death), is a British singer, songwriter and record producer based in Los Angeles. Smith's stage name was inspired by Gustav Klimt's painting "Death and Life." Smith was born in Birmingham, England. He first toured in the U.K. at age 16 but began working under the name T.O.L.D. in 2014. That year Smith released "Lucifer’s Eyes", which became his best-known song. Shortly after, he released his first EP, Heaven. This was followed in 2016 by his debut album, It's Not About the Witches. T.O.L.D. was announced as one of BBC's 'Introducing Artists' of 2019.
Shares art pop, synth-pop, indie pop (subgenres); mysterious, contemplative, wistful (moods)
Shares art pop, synth-pop, indie pop (subgenres); contemplative, wistful, euphoric (moods)
Shares art pop, synth-pop, indie pop (subgenres); reverb heavy, digital clarity, layered dense (production style)
Shares art pop, synth-pop, indie pop (subgenres); maximalist, digital clarity, layered dense (production style)
Shares art pop, synth-pop, indie pop (subgenres); reverb heavy, digital clarity, layered dense (production style)
Shares art pop, synth-pop, indie pop (subgenres); reverb heavy, digital clarity, layered dense (production style)
Shares art pop, synth-pop, indie pop (subgenres); reverb heavy, digital clarity, layered dense (production style)
Shares voice as instrument, art pop, synth-pop, indie pop (signature)
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