LISTEN: SPELLLING – ‘Little Deer’

A majestic new soundscape inspired by Frida Kahlo’s 1946 painting The Wounded Deer, Bay Area-based artist SPELLLING has shared her latest single ‘Little Deer’. Taken from her upcoming album The Turning Wheel, which is set for release on 25th June via Sacred Bones, the track is a dazzling new offering that showcases her talent for blending electronic & acoustic instruments with her lush vocals to create hazy, uplifting sounds.

“‘Little Deer’ is definitely a thesis track,” explains SPELLLING aka Chrystia Cabral. “I feel that way because it not only showcases the greatest range of instrumentation that is featured on the album, but also because it accomplishes this strong impression of theatre that I was striving for with the album as a whole.” The track features 17 different acoustic instruments, as well as a lilting, warped synthesizer. SPELLLING’s new record is split into two halves – “Above” and “Below” – with ‘Little Deer’ marking the beginning of the dreamy, shimmering “Above” section, which contrasts with the darker, more gothic tones of “Below”.

“I’m especially proud of the lyrics on ‘Little Deer’,” SPELLLING continues. “The challenge with the lyric writing was being able to speak to really large concepts like karma, reincarnation and the cycle of life without making the song sound burdened. I wanted the lyrics to match the grandeur of the instrumentation but still be easy to sing along to. I figured out a way to build the lyrics using a lot of abstract language that is still sing-able but odd in a way that I hope makes it memorable.” SPELLING’s attention to lyrical detail and intricate musical arrangements on ‘Little Deer’ certainly mark her out as a distinctive and compelling talent.

Listen to the track below.

Follow SPELLLING on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram & Facebook

Photo credit: Adora Wilson

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: SPELLLING – ‘Under The Sun’

SPELLLING (aka Chrystia Cabral) has shared her new single ‘Under The Sun’ – the second offering from her forthcoming album Mazy Fly, due for release on 22nd February via Sacred Bones. The track is a six minute blend of dance-inducing beats and smooth vocals, which SPELLLING says form a “cosmic prayer for good fortune”.

Chrystia began experimenting with music production in 2015 in an effort to carry on the creative legacy of a lost loved one. She released her first LP Pantheon of Me, in September 2017 via Bandcamp. Drawing heavily from messages in her dreams, the result was a “divine soul music; with a unique vision, inhabiting a world of its own”.

On her second record Mazy Fly, and new single ‘Under The Sun’, SPELLLING has developed her dreamy soundscape further: celebrating the “invisible energies that come together over time to create something radically new, like the birth of a star”. Check out the new track below and follow SPELLLING on Facebook for more updates.

Pre-order SPELLING’s new album Mazy Fly via Sacred Bones here.

Photo credit: Catalina Xavlena

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: SPELLLING – ‘Haunted Water’

Sacred Bones signee SPELLLING has shared her new single, the aptly named ‘Haunted Water’ alongside the news she’ll be releasing her new album Mazy Fly on 22nd February in 2019. The track is a spell-binding listen with a sinister context; recounting memories of colonial violence that haunt the historical slave ship routes of the Middle Passage.

SPELLLING (aka Chrystia Cabral) began experimenting with music production in 2015 in an effort to continue the creative legacy of a lost loved one, and released her first record Pantheon of Me, in September 2017 via Bandcamp. Inspired by the messages in her dreams, her sound breaches the void between clarity and obscurity – and latest single ‘Haunted Water’ is a perfect example of this.

Despite the track’s painful but important context, SPELLLING’s soft vocals give the song a softer quality, amidst slow, intense synths and steady beats. She embraces the negative side of human nature, and explores it by blending R&B sensibilities with intriguing electronics.  Listen to ‘Haunted Water’ below and follow SPELLLING on Facebook for more updates.

Pre-order your copy of Mazy Fly here.

Photo credit: Catalina Xavlena

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment