“Sola carries the torch for the golden, experimental era of ’90s R&B.” Schön! Magazine
“An exciting new act coming out of the London scene.” Okay Africa
‘Mami Wata’ is the new EP from south-London based producer and vocalist Sola out now on Jamz Supernova’s label Future Bounce.
Speaking on the EP Sola said: “I worked on this project almost completely alone my bedroom, which allowed me to craft something that feels quite authentic to my experiences. Lots of the lyrics deal with isolation and craving deeper relationships. I had just moved back to London after nearly 6 years in New York, and was struggling to readjust to a different pace in my social life. I spent more time alone then I had in years, giving me the chance to rediscover a lot of the music I grew up on, especially early productions by Timberland and Pharrell, and how they incorporated sounds from across the world in their work. I wanted to balance this with a darker and mysterious sound. As a collection of songs, I wanted something that represented my multifaceted musical upbringing, from ambient to jazz and electronica and I used my voice to fuse these things together into a more cohesive experience.”
Sola’s unique vocal delivery takes inspiration from the likes of Sade and Nina Simone with production drenched with r&b flavours reminiscent of Timbaland or Pharrell. It’s this unique blend that makes Sola such an exciting prospect, both producing and providing vocals for the music she creates. Having played classical piano since the age of 6, it wasn’t until she discovered the raw and unfiltered vocals of Nina Simone several years later that she grew the confidence to accept her own voice and start singing. After a four-year stint at the prestigious New York University, Sola started producing her own music. It was a time she found herself obsessed with Portishead, Massive Attack, and Burial, loving their darker, cinematic qualities and their ability to blur genres. Sola fuses her love for classical music with dark electronic sounds, creating an interesting blend of ‘warped soul’.
credits
released October 2, 2020
Written, Produced, Sung - Sola
Mixed by Gabriel Schuman
Mastered by Joker
All the tracks are great but Stepper is the standout for me! pounding syncopated kicks, rolling handdrums and playful sample work, dancefloor destroyer. Jack G.
The New York singer's debut album intertwines gospel, soul, and dance seamlessly with darker ambient sounds to create an otherworldly soundscape. Bandcamp Album of the Day Nov 15, 2021