Shades of Sonny John Moore (aka Skrillex) juxtaposed with Japanese pop with a taste of Triphop and elements of Electronic Pop pretty much sums up the unique sound of KLEOPATRA’s new single Ukiyo.
Now us “not young but don’t call me old” generation are lost without our kids/grandkids to school us in the modern world of music. Gone are the days of simply choosing what we like to listen to between basically country, classical, folk, pop or country music.
Then Hip Hop, Rap, EDM, Dubstep, Beats came onto our radar and we managed to distinguish them amongst the plethora of music genres popping up – because we had kids!
My daughter schooled me well so I know who Skrillex is and what Dubstep is. And when I read a reviewer compare KLEOPATRA to Lights, I knew who they were talking about. Lights happened to be one of my daughter’s favourite artists and a highlight of her life as a teen was going to one of her concerts.
I can understand the comparison to Lights with her soft but at the same time powerful vocals. Ukiyo is entrancing to listen to and is perfectly suited to KLEOPATRA who describes herself as a “performance android with a human consciousness”.
What I liked – besides the compelling music track with all the percussive elements and the interesting mix of music genres that sort of hypnotizes you into a “take me away from here” kind of vibe – is that this artist is multi-talented. She took time off from music to score and sound design for short films & visual media and she studied at The Glasgow School of Art.
So KLEOPATRA brings a lot more to her projects than meets the eye. She manages to captivate you with interesting musical ideas, shapes and soundscapes. I was intrigued by it all and listened at least a dozen times to Ukiyo.
Not to mention that on it’s own, it’s a great tune and I really like the song.
The lyrics speak of a Japanese concept – Ukiyo – which “describes the urban lifestyle, especially the pleasure-seeking aspects, of the Edo-period Japan (1600–1867)”.
There is a depth to KLEOPATRA. Who writes about an ancient Japanese concept in a pop/futuristic song? Maybe it’s her Buddhism that takes her deeply into a world she wants to share and help enlighten a modern day society caught up in mundane human existence.
Or maybe it’s her desire to empathize with those struggling with mental health as she shares her own experience to encourage them to find something positive to focus on. “It does not mean you are broken or less than if you are struggling”.
Whatever it is that compels you to listen to her, you can see that she cares about people, she has depth and she is redefining pop. There is so much more to discover in this futuristic artist – she is one to watch.
FIND MORE FROM KLEOPATRA HERE:
Instagram: @Iam_Kleopatra
Twitter: @iam_kleopatra
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kleopatramusic
The Music Files 