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CMU Approved
Approved: Marina Herlop
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 29 March 2022
Marina Herlop’s first two albums – 2016’s ‘Nanook’ and 2018’s ‘Babasha’ – made solid use of her classical piano training at the Conservatori De Música De Badalona in Barcelona.
However, her blend of classical piano and more contemporary vocals always set her apart from what you might have expected given that training. On her second effort, she began working more synths and other electronic sounds into her work. And now, four years later, she returns with her third effort, ‘Pripyat’, which sees her move ever further away from her foundations.
Using cut-up techniques – building melodies and rhythm out of snatches of sound – her new material can at first seem chaotic. Listening feels like being dropped and caught repeatedly, but eventually this sensation becomes something more akin to floating. Inspired by Carnatic music from Southern India, and although the piano is still evident in the music, ‘Pripyat’ sees Herlop fully transition to becoming an electronic artist.
The album itself is due out on 20 May, and Herlop will perform a UK show at the Barbican Centre in London on 6 May. This week comes new single, ‘Shaolin Mantis’, which has echoes of Sheila Chandra, and unveils more fully the experimentation on the album, compared to the softer previous single ‘Miu’.
Listen to ‘Shaolin Mantis’ here:
