Aida
Saravah, 2022
8/10
An effort that was written, arranged, and produced by the esteemed artist Maïa Barouh, the songs here use flute and vocals for a bilingual effort that bridges her French and Japanese heritage into a very unique, worldly vision.
“Tokyo Ondo” opens the listen with plenty of glitchy beats amid the bright flute bouts and Barouh’s soaring, distinct voice, and “Hafu” follows with strong attention to mood, where a cinematic backdrop is met with a warm buzzing and prominent bass that certainly could soundtrack a night at the club.
Further on, the stylish “Tairyo” is full of expressive singing in French that embraces electro-pop ideas, while “Exit” showcases Pierre-François Blanchard’s keyboard acrobatics in the busy versus minimal climate.
Inching towards the end, “Take The Boat” benefits much from Julien Deguines’ synth acrobatics alongside the vocal manipulation, and “Hanakasa” continues the creativity with a more intimate execution that builds into a hectic and dance floor ready appeal.
A musically adventurous affair that uses samples, programming, guitar and keys, the lyrical content surrounds anti-Asian racism and sexism and thoughts on Brexit for a formula that no one could duplicate.
Travels well with: Scott Matthews- New Skin; Seafoam Green- Martin’s Garden