London-based artist Sharon Katta crafts an emotively resonant, atmospherically captivating success with new EP Death said, Breathe. The production delivers an immersive soundscape of triumphing through despair, propelled by enveloping vocals and grand orchestral swells; the project utilizes more than 100 world and orchestral instruments.
The EP’s overall journey was sparked by a life-altering phone call from the artist’s sister. “Life is good. I’m grateful I reached out for help before it was too late. That call changed everything — it was the beginning of my second life,” Katta explains, with the EP capturing the process of a suffering individual finding a sense of peace by letting go.
The EP’s prelude unveils a variety of effects, cinematic in their eclectic range — in progressing from the ghostly, lush billowing wind to chugging train-tracks and a gunshot, followed by a screaming crowd. Vocal murmurs, thunder, and a dial-tone effect then traverse into a spoken-word sample. The backing vocal textures here are gorgeous and effervescent, evoking the brilliant sampling of Burial in their ability to weave beautiful melodies amidst unsettling atmospherics. “Act I” then arrives seamlessly, resonant in its trickling guitars and serene string adornments, while Katta’s emotional vocals shine in moments like the pleading “take me, I don’t deserve this” — conveying a sense of personal tumult and suffocation, even in the face of love from others.
“Act II” consumes as well in its airy vocal layers and beckoning to “breathe,” with ensuing sounds of birds invoking a sense of springtime and renewal as “Act III” comes into view. The soundscapes, lyricism, and powerful vocals all culminate in an impactful depiction of renewal following bouts of hopelessness and despair. The result is a riveting listening experience that prompts profound appreciation for life. Death said, Breathe is a thoroughly heartfelt success of an EP from Sharon Katta.
—
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
