Sydney music artist Angelika Ates has just released Hearts Alight, the follow-up to her debut track Deadline.
At a glance this track adopts the tropes of EDM or electro pop, and creates a reasonably effective contemporary mainstream record, but it’s the addition of a more traditional element, the ambrosial aural texture of the Armenian duduk that helps give it a defining, delineating edge.
That is not to say that Angelika’s vocal is not at play here also because it certainly is. There is an unwavering veracity in her performance here, one that no doubt relies on the authenticity reflected in the lyric. As Angelika has said about the song’s origins: ‘Hearts Alight is about the different stages of life and how I have learnt new things whilst experiencing the events of my journey.
It represents how I freed myself and released the past with it. It is also about awakening and realising that there is more to life and how enjoying yourself is very important. Running away from problems is what I wanted to do but I learned to face them, so I didn’t have to run any more’.
This experience has undoubtedly played a role in the self-assured yet at times quite vulnerable tones Angelika expels on Hearts Alight, as it veers from its EDM based foundation to esoteric and rather more multi-coloured hues, a tonal and textural marriage that for the most part seems to work, presenting a more expansive notion of what contemporary pop can sound like.
‘‘Having my own experiences in life, I can relate to all types of people and because of this I can write to a larger audience.
As Angelika has said about her influences and these diversified ingredients:
‘Having my own experiences in life, I can relate to all types of people and because of this I can write to a larger audience. I am Greek/Cypriot/Armenian so understanding the European side of music too broadens my ability to work with artists from around the world’.
With Hearts Alight Angelika has attempted to square the mainstream pop side of her creativity with another which explores less obvious characteristics, and one can only applaud the creative drive behind such an endeavour.
LISTEN TO ANGELIKA ATES HERE:
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