A creative whirlwind of a new single from Holy ’57, “Diorama” impresses with a richly expansive soundscape. Flurries of brass, guitars, and synths construct invigorating melodies amidst a variety of vocal-based twists and turns. Enthralling funk-laden pop builds to a dramatic, sax-featured bridge around 01:20, as suave vocals lead toward another expansion. The project of London-based songwriter-producer Alex Mankoo, Holy ’57 has impressed in the past with the track “Jep Shuffle,” and with “Diorama” touts a newly realized aesthetic vision, one that wholly impresses with its lively sound, infectious melody, and an inspiration that is near and dear to Mankoo.
“‘Diorama’ is a very personal track for me,” the artist writes. “It pulls together my Indian ancestry, my reflections on the colonial history of the UK, and my love for jazz and hip-hop. Inspired by my grandmother, it’s a sort of pro-immigration that contains parts of a speech I gave at my mother’s funeral. I remember as a child she used to enjoy reading my palms, so in this song I wanted to explore the idea that her hands presented an incredible life story – of family, of power, of culture, and of migration.”
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“Diorama” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of October 2020’ Spotify playlist.
The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Indie Funk.
