The keen reader might remember Hungarian songstress Дeva. Writing about ‘11 (Két Szál)’ earlier in December, we proudly declared it “esoteric and highly unique, intense and dazzling, packed with modern flair and synthetic energy”. This week, Дeva returns with a wonderful larger album, ‘Avar’, an impressive manifesto for her cathartic, liminal artistry. In it, we are faced with ten transformative pieces, expansive nuggets of folktronica and ambient prowess.
‘Sárkány’ opens the album in a sacred fashion, with a fractal synth loop providing a vaporous background for Дeva’s blissful, elegant vocal harmonies, truly epic and anthemic. Describing her endeavour as “guided by a mythical dragon at the edge of dreams and wakefulness”, the talented artist makes ample use of traditional Hungarian folk chants, then wrapped in an electronic livery that makes the album incredibly contemporary, yet weirdly nostalgic and hazy.
Recorded in Дeva’s personal studio, ‘Avar’ features guest contributions from Fanni Zahár (ute), Fatima Gozlán (ney and derbuka), and Zoltán Lantos (violin), together with production aid from Zságer Balázs and BALADI. A special group of people for a special outcome: the records deserve to be experienced in solitary, without the distractions of everyday life, allowing its healing and bucolic qualities to emerge victorious.
Recommended! Discover ‘Avar’ on Spotify:
