Skip to main content

Genre bender Alya



The singer that is Alya is emerging as an artist to watch. Her style of music is genre bending. She employs elements of pop, indie, jazz and EDM. Alya’s ambitious new song “Half of the Sun” exemplifies the singer’s approach to diversity. A self described “happy song” about being ok with who you are at the present moment.  She blends surf rock guitar with an array of percussion including Jaapanese taiko drums.  The background singers are Japanese as well. She was born in Russia but spent time in Japan. She claims the song is a “happy song” she created 9 years ago but decided to bring it back to see the light of day. She says it is a love song about finding your other half and enjoying that person. The first single out from her upcoming album that she produces in both English and Japanese. She is an interesting woman and her music exemplifies her love of the craft. Being a musician was what she alwayswanted to do as a young person. She wound up going to college and spending time as a journalist. Finally, her truth came to the service and she moved to LA to pursue her dream.  This song is rich with a variety of sounds. Her voice floats above the cacophony to a brilliant end result It feels likes a driving surf song mixed with dance elements at firs. But upon second listen there are several things going on including the interesting taiko drum sounds and the use of Japanese back up singers. The track spins you around and takes you on a rhythmic journey.  She claims the message lies in the chorus Live in the moment like it would be the one...'" Apparently she is influenced by the surfy sounds in Quentin Tarrantino films. Her music embodies cinematic qualities. 

"Animals" was released earlier this year and is garnering praise. Her sound blends the wackiness of Bjork with the ever eclectic style of Massive Attack. "I look at you / You look back / Because you see nothing of yourself" The crisp use of strings as she counts 12345 are a major bonus on this track.  

She is continually working at her craft in addition to being a visual and performance artist, a classically trained ballet dancer and a multilinquist. It’s obvious she takes pride in the efforts she puts out into the world.  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Song of the day - "Turbulence" - Archpalatine

"Turbulence"  Starts with his utilizing his voice as an instrument along with his nimble fingers taking care of the keys. The low rush of background singers whispering “Palatine” sneaks in as he continues to resonate. As his  voice hits its crescendo the pop of the drums whips in a surprise. The deft use of the kit rushes in, quick and edgy.   The song rolls on with dramatic flair while his voice ascends "We will take the chance to fly away" He plays his vocals again as he sings Taaaturbulence then the gust of the drum takes over like a strong supporting character. A song rich in drama and operatic elements, comparisons to Queen are fair. And again the drumming continues stellar.  Listening to this song is like being enveloped in a short play. I can imagine the majestic costumes and sweeping set design. Also I see color when I listen to “Turbulence”; scarlet, rich gold and shades of charcoal much like the picture I just posted. Interestingly I...

Song of the Day - "OPEN" - by Stella Ruze (Rules)

The Gang is all here. STELLA RUZE writtten by Violet Rosette Stella Ruze? More like Stella Rulez! Stella Ruze was birthed in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia in 2014 and is continuing to grow. They just dropped a new video for their newest song “Open”. This song will be featured on their new album “The Greater Dog”. Brendan Johnson & Katie O’Donnell are the band founders and help write most of the songs. The group also includes Keyboardist Mason Wallack and Alex Styer on trumpet. Together they make a stellar team! What could be better than Stella Ruze the 4-piece?   Stella Ruze the 7-piece! These funky monkeys have added accomplished blues drummer Sean McIntyre who really knows his way around a drum set. They also merged Bass guitar extraordinaire Ted Mayo and saxophone player, Vince Gleason, who is a lifetime member of the legendary Mummer group – Ferko String Band, into the previous 4-piece. According to the band, “Our new sound emboldens our message t...

Other Music Documentary

Other Music Documentary Other Music, famously located on 4th Street with a view of Tower Records before it folded,was a destination stop for me. The small shop was neatly packed & stacked with the latest & the greatest vinyl records & CDs. This thoughtful, well crafted documentary truly depicts what it was like to be a guest at Other Music. Puloma Basu & Richard Hatch - Miller  clearly took their time to interview the owners, past staff members & the artists who got their start at OM.   Walking into OM always gave me a happy tingle. Watching this documentary evokes a similar feeling. It made me smile as if I was there pawing through the Big Star Category, the Latin flavored music & of course the latest releases. The scene with a composer clutching his hand written review card was priceless. Hearing one of the Berringer brother's bliss out about having a card at OM was a delight. He gushed "That meant the National was a 'real' ban...