Our obsession with Erotika Dabra seems to grow with every listen. We last featured the subversive and visionary artist for the psychedelic and enlightening re-imagining of their track, My Own Magic (Erotika Rerub), so when we heard that Erotika was back with Wooden Heart, with a music video to boot, we couldn’t wait to immerse ourselves in their universe once more.
Wooden Heart opens with the cerebral rolling of nails on a metallic book with atmospheric vocalizations of “sister, like this… what about like this?”, before expanding with an almost tribal drumscape and haunting strings featuring the opening assertion, “The winds are changing…”
We are immediately captivated by the energy that the track exudes. We learn that Wooden Heart is a collaboration with Ms Virgolicious and intentionally designed as “a spell cast through music”. As with all of Erotika Dabra‘s work, there is a high spiritual quotient, and the sensual energy is also tangible. This time the track serves as “a celebration of queer joy, chosen family and the power of embracing exactly who you are.”
Erotika tells us, “Wooden Heart is the spell I cast to show my younger self that we are powerful as queer people, as weirdos, as imperfections, as creatures who dare to imagine a world where magic is real. Magic can heal your wounds and make you want to find your dance again.”
The piece feels otherworldly, and this is cemented by the dark and hypnotic music video which sees the artists embrace each other, the pole, notions of witchcraft and as the track evolves with intensity mid-way through, we experience choreography and a stronger energy with dark-folk nuances from the strings as the drama builds, climaxing with an 808 heartbeat, the sound of footsteps on wood and an exhalation of sister with serpent sounds that immerse us.
Needless to say, Wooden Heart is awe-inspiring, like a dark kundalini rising. The theatrical electronic-pop collaboration feels important and zeitgeist as it transforms feelings of otherness into empowerment. We could imagine it in a movie like The Craft or Forbidden Fruits, or performed at a forest rave.
For some background, Erotika Dabra is a Canberra-based performer, creative producer, and community advocate whose work explores identity, transformation, fantasy, and collective empowerment. Through music, performance, and initiatives such as ODDyssey, they create inclusive spaces that support emerging artists and strengthen Canberra’s creative community.
Ms Virgolicious is a Moroccan-Australian drag artist, makeup artist, performer, and advocate based in Canberra. Known for combining glamour with heartfelt self-expression, she is a prominent figure in the city’s queer arts scene and is passionate about mentoring emerging creatives and amplifying diverse voices.
We have added Wooden Heart to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to immerse ourselves in Erotika Dabra‘s sonic and visual universe, and anticipate future releases from the pioneering artist.