Alis - Things Next Door

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  • Although Alis, formerly known as Subeena, has never tethered herself exclusively to one genre, her latest EP signifies another new direction. In fact, in the wake of her 12-inch of snappy house acid for Don't Be Afraid, Things Next Door is a true curveball, a humble tape without pretensions to anything beyond a series of freeform experiments. The product of a series of one-take recordings using a loop pedal and Sabina Plamenova's own vocals, the four tracks on Things Next Door are hypnotic and subtle, making up for their lack of refinement with a rough-hewn charm. Alis' voice is tender and warm rather than perfected, but her approach to vocal layering, comparable to Julianna Barwick's, is at once deeply intimate and expansive, particularly on the opener "11" and the closing title track. The central tracks are more rhythmic: murky percussion and vocal layers on "020" build into a claustrophobic web before trailing off entirely, while "Leslape" is a series of little percussive knocks that descend briefly into a puffy drone. The prevailing mood here is of intimacy; these are off-the-cuff experiments, but they're surprisingly affecting—and occasionally beautiful.
  • Tracklist
      01. 11 02. 020 03. Leslape 04. Things Next Door
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