Californian singer and multi-instrumentalist Sis has made a name for herself not just for her ability to make spell binding, atmospheric and experimental electronic pop but also as the founder of up and coming label Native Cat Recordings. Now returning with her new EP, the gorgeous ‘Gnani’, Sis once again demonstrates her unfaltering ability to create otherworldly music that’s packed with innovative ideas.
Opening with the eerie, Portishead-esque ‘Double Rapture’, Sis instantly introduces her unique mix of analogue beats, warming synths and ultra-soft, affecting vocal delivery. Floating flawlessly into the EP’s second single ‘Wooie’, Sis introduces a more driving, energetic side with a thicker, more full beat, a deep, moving bassline chopping instrumentation and dappled sampling. Effortlessly edgy and cool, Sis’s sound shines across these two opening tracks, a perfect introduction to Sis’s unique sound.
Track 3, the EP’s understated highlight ‘Flower In Space’ brings an air of Bon Iver and Japanese House with beautifully put together instrumentation that effortlessly moves from chopped up piano, to brass synths, to guitar before eventually drifting into a final soft floating synth and harmony section, all the while with Sis’s vocals float with a calming sense of ease and honesty. A key demonstration of her ability to create music that keeps your interest without relying on catchy vocals or uptempo beats, the track is balanced so perfectly in it’s delivery: experimental yet not self indulgent, emotional but not ‘wet’, atmospheric but not wishy washy, it’s a work of art.
Followed by the striking and equally impressive ‘Emobiment’, Sis creates a jarring shift in tone and mood. Opening with a chopping sample, the track’s subby synth bass and rolling electronic beats up the tempo and create a contrast, keeping the EP fresh and almost startling you out of the sleepy state created by ‘Flower In Space’. The beautiful synth that enters at 2.15 is a key moment, reminiscent of David Sylvian, introducing a jazz influence which continues to develop and flourish through latter sections of the track.
Closing with the psychedelic, dubby ‘Gazelle Rites’, Sis closes out an EP full of unpredictable and undoubtedly beautiful, otherworldly music that hits every mark. A stunning EP that fully deserves the flurry of flattering reviews which will undoubtedly flood the internet over the coming weeks.
Sis – Gnani is out now via Native Cat Recordings, listen below:
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