Today's Song of the Day, as chosen by Kevin Cole, host of Drive Time on KEXP, is "Unglitched" by Дeva, a 2020 single on Move Gently Records. Дeva will be performing at this year's virtual Eurosonic (ESNS) Music Festival and Conference January 19-22 and has also been nominated for a Music Moves Europe Award.
Дeva/Deva is the solo project of Budapest-based musician Dorina Takács. Her use of blending traditional Hungarian folk music with pulsating electronic basslines and soaring polyphonic vocals has made her an artist on the rise in her home country. Recalling the layered instrumentation of Alt-J, the complex electronic compositions of Four Tet, and the haunting vocals of Bjork or Beth Gibbons, Deva is a compelling one to watch.
Our Song of the Day, “Unglitched,” is one of a string of singles released since 2020. Led by her airy falsetto, the track quickly glides into a dark trip-hop beat. One of the few songs of hers to be sung in English, Deva repeats the refrain of, “Are you facing the right direction?” A palm-slapped drum adds a worldly flair to the electronic instrumentation and layered vocals, for something that sounds both of the past and very much the future.
Deva is nominated for a Music Moves Europe Award which celebrates emerging artists who represent the European sound of today and tomorrow. Every year, eight outstanding artists will receive a Music Moves Europe Award in recognition of their international success, as well as being rewarded with a performance at ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) and financial support for touring and promotion. ESNS will take place virtually on January 19-22.
Keep your eyes peeled for Deva’s debut LP Csillag, scheduled for release sometime in 2022. Until then, watch her live performance for Waves Vienna in 2020 below.
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