(02.10.06) I don’t know many women in electronics, my only memories being the mighty Andrea Parker, Leila and Mira Calix. And to be sincere, I can’t remember what the latest releases by Leila are, but I do remember how disappointing the last Mira Calix album was after the high expectations I had since the beautiful Prickle EP. This Samarah record dropped out of nowhere apparently, I’ve never heard of her and thus it’s a great surprise to find such a fresh and classic work.
Samarah’s sound is very rarefied, her warm voice resonates among tiny clicks, tapping rhythms and warped melodies. Very simple elements that build tiny moving moments, “Six For Seven” and “Sleep So Heavy” are probably the best: the former is surrounding and soulful, while the latter is a spooky, alluring whisper. Don’t expect any technicalities nor weird DSP effects, the aim here is to achieve the maximum result with bare minimum equipment. This is not an easy job, unless whoever is at the controls has the proper skills, and this is for sure the case with Samarah: the demonstration comes from tracks like “Disconnected,” where only a couple of minutes of piano and micro-noises impress the listener with their magnetic catchiness. She is irresistible again when she touches epic chords like in “What You Hold Dear,” a really stunning piece of music.
I’m often skeptical towards new names but in this case I’m really glad to discover an artist that I hope to hear often in the future, especially because this half of an hour is definitely not enough. Don’t discard this classification as too slow or lounge music, Falling Away is more subtle and unsettling than what you could think after a casual listening.
Falling Away is out now on Zod. [Purchase]
- Zod
- Samarah
