Above all, I love music that transcends the notion of what exactly constitutes as music and what bleeds into the territory of simply being an experience in its own right. Those kind of things are often way more gripping and thought-provoking than your run-of-the-mill band-oriented outputs, and while there’s nothing wrong with those either, I personally gravitate towards things that convey emotions in such a way that they also force me to a vulnerable position from a listener’s point of view. One such endeavor recently popped into my inbox without prior warning – and oh man – I’m really fucking glad it did.
That endeavor was the single from a new experimental unit called Sopa Boba, who perform an eclectic mixture rough modular electronic music and modern classical topped off with exceedingly poetic spoken word passages. The voice is provided by one G.W. Sok, also known from his involvement in the Parisian outfit Oiseaux-Tempête (whom I interviewed a while ago), the words themselves being an adaptation of the eponymous text by Moldavian writer Nicoleta Esinencu, while Pavel Tchikov (also of Ogives) handles the synths and compositions, and Jean Vangeebergen (zü Klub) takes care of the dramaturgy. So the idea of avant-garde is a heavily emphasized approach right here, and you can dig into the first taste from Sopa Boba titled “That Sweet Moment” from below;
The Belgian/Dutch project are intent to form an so-called oratorio of the present age, unfolding a dramatic tale within a sociopolitical framework. When listening to the majestic work combining ethereal classical tones with quite rough and oh so sweet percussive synth work, the notion of drama is indeed very tangible. The sonics provide a strong groundwork for G.W. Sok to place his identifiable voice on, the end result being a pervasive and fascinating piece of contemporary art, giving you plenty to get caught up on whether by means of the music itself and the details found within it, the overlying narrative, or simply all of it at once.
What Sopa Boba showcases on this single track alone will certainly leave many others such as myself thirsty for more, and for a multitude of rather good reasons. I can’t even begin to count how many times these sweet, sweet six and a half minutes have flown in from my ear canals, and it feels like every single time I discover some new nuances or subtle details I missed earlier on. It’s exceptional, really.
Be sure to follow Sopa Boba on Instagram for updates on their upcoming doings.
