Prior to generating widespread excitement across Portland, OR, under the Dahlia name, Jennifer Folker and Keith Schreiner had each built modest profiles through separate endeavors, with Folker working as a vocalist-for-hire and Schreiner producing ambient music. Folker contributed vocals to Banco de Gaia on the club hit "Obsidian," as well as to Tweaker and King Black Acid, while Schreiner issued an album under the Auditory Sculpture moniker. Though those solo efforts yielded only limited recognition, their partnership as Dahlia—Folker supplying the vocals and Schreiner shaping the soundscapes—quickly positioned the pair as Portland’s most talked-about act. A standing weekly performance at the club Ohm fueled the growing attention, as attendance swelled steadily with each appearance. Coverage from outlets including the Portland Tribune, the Oregonian, and Seattle’s the Rocket added further intrigue through positive, atmosphere-enhancing profiles, paving the way for the duo’s first release, Emotional Cycles.
