08.06.18

Digital production and classical composition combine in IRISIRI, the third full-length record by New York-based artist Alexandra Drewchin, better known as Eartheater. Set to a backdrop of organic harp chords and pillowy vocals, Drewchin manipulates her musical landscape with arrhythmic melodies and tripped-out beats which come together to form her unique sound. At times, this record can feel uncomfortable, with its abundance of vocal falsettos and staccato synths, but it is in this discomfort that IRISIRI reveals itself. On Inhale Baby, collaborators Odwalla1221 open with the words, “I am naked on the floor,” before repeating, “there is so much stuff coming out of my skirt”. With depersonalised and mechanical verse, the record explores the power of technology and the danger that comes with it.

An interest in the relationship between technology and nature aligns IRISIRI with electronic avant-garde artists like SOPHIE and A.G. Cook, whose music encompasses the pre-packaged spirit of the digital age. Lyrics such as “these tits are just a side effect” and “you can’t compute her” combine technology with sexuality, conveying a depersonalised vision of society. Unlike many futuristic artists, who coat their music with sickly nitrous oxide tones to reveal a feeling of irony, Drewchin’s music is in revolt. The album’s lead single C.L.I.T. sees Drewchin yell, “Yeah / I rejected that culture / Do you blame me? / No”. Her singing has a ritualistic quality and the collision of metal guitar riffs and vocal distortions provoke active listening from the audience. Much like her moniker suggests, Drewchin’s music envelops and swallows you whole, but boy, does it feel good.

Gunseli Yalcinkaya