Establishing the mood with a cerebral frequency with subtle nature sounds and astral bell detailing, Sophia Aya opens Slow Trees with mystique and celestial dimensionality before pounding beats emerge with industrial textures.
The opus evolves with a haunting and avant-garde nuance to take us on a meditative and intriguing journey laced with captivating sound design. We appreciate the intricacy of the piece, which feels cathartic, conscious and holds a high spiritual quotient. There is a cinematic allure to the composition, which could be perfect for a minimalist moment in one of the Avatar movies, or even possibly something more visceral like The Substance.
We learn that Sophia Aya is an innovative alter-persona brought to life by Kat Kikta, who we have previously featured for her sublime and avant-garde Fine Young Cannibals cover, He Drives Me Crazy, and her philosophical and poignant message on collective suffering, Cherry Trees.
The star confesses, “This innovative alter-persona embodies a pursuit of higher consciousness, channeling a deeply spiritual and poetic approach to music.” The project is rooted in her “lifelong journey of healing, self-discovery, mysticism”, designed to explore “the boundaries between ambient soundscapes, ritualistic tones, and transcendental melodies designed to evoke reflection and inner awakening.”
This is exactly what materialises with the composition, intentionally coming in at 13 minutes and 33 seconds, adding up to 10 – a motif of universal completion. We could imagine this being performed live at a spiritual or Ayahuasca ceremony at countless festivals, including Secret Garden Party, Medicine Festival, or even Supersonic.
We deeply connect with the conscious intention of Slow Trees, and feel aligned with what Sophia Aya stands for as an artist and healer. We have added the composition to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we also listen to the Vocal Deepener version of the track which taps into a more cerebral energy.