Exclusive Premiere: Fighting visions and pop dreams in “Kiss Me Awake”
A psychedelic guitar slips back into bouncing chords of synth, the two rolling over you like waves, and instantly you’re transported into a car, a late-night drive through the glittering cityscape, a night of reflection by the sea, dreaming of summer winds amidst nightmares of stolen love. “Kiss Me Awake” is a song dripping with vision and sensuality, the simple elements of guitar and synth layering into deep soundscapes of reflection and surrealism. Arya’s uniquely masculine voice slips over you, raw and lingering, telling a story of a vibrant passion that slips through the silence of a dream. Soaring chords of synth and strings give way to a strong chorus of fiery drums, layered chords, and harmonies, with Zappa begging to be kissed awake. Is this moment real, or is it all just a dream?
“Kiss me awake is a nightmare fairy tale etched in neon colour. Inspired by the day glow horror and baroque violence of Italian director Dario Argento [Suspiria], it’s a 3.22 slice of soaring indie-pop.
Arya Zappa
With a distinct italo-disco sound, Berlin-based Arya Zappa has gotten acclaim from radio stations like BBC, WDR, and Radio Eins, and even received an Anchor award nomination (given to some of the most promising emerging musicians.) She’s worked with experts to achieve a perfectly balanced, electric sound to match the vivid stories of her lyrics, people like sound engineer Mikko Gordon (Radiohead, Arcade Fire.) Often drawn toward a ’90s French House and Italian ’70s psychedelia sound, she mixes the two often in her own discography.
The unique sound fusion often lends her songs to their own cinematic qualities. “Kiss Me Awake” especially paints technicolor images dipped in horror, just like the films of Argento and his musical collaborators like Goblin. Zappa will be accompanying three upcoming songs with music videos, all written by herself and shot by Emmy award-winning cinematographer John Tattersall, each a peek into the character of Arya Zappa, a pseudonym for the real artist behind the stories. Keep up with Zappa on her website for those upcoming videos, and listen to “Kiss Me Awake” below.
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