Michigan-based artist Helen Yee shows a mesmerizing sound across the new album Orchestrope, a moving success from the violinist and composer. Ranging from orchestral complexity to sparse, haunting intrigue, the release showcases Yee’s gripping songwriting and instrumentation — delving into strings and electronics. The release also represents a more solo pursuit, after years as a collaborator.
“After years of being mainly a collaborator, I’m truly proud of how this solo album came out,” Yee says. “It captures what I care about in music –– sound, emotion, melody, dramatic arc. People have said they can see movies in their minds as they listen. Now I can share my music beyond the folks who have heard my live sets, and I hope listeners will feel the energy that my live audiences experience.”
The album’s opening title track immerses right away, intertwining a ghostly string-laden persistence with plucky intrigue. The contemplative string arrangements excel into a beautiful fury at mid-point, escalating considerably into a whirring, emotional tour-de-force; it’s a fantastic commencement to an album full of emotive and structural intrigue. “Noche de Julia” is another standout, more somber and haunting in its initial string-forward procession. Uneasy clanking effects adorn gorgeous momentum in the final minute, putting a bow on a masterfully atmospheric track.
Orchestrope continues with a multitude of highlights, ranging from the vibrant frolicking within “Kicking Up Dust” to the meditative, spoken-word accompanying “Ancestors” — emitting “one day I’ll find an answer,” alongside a bellowing, wordless chant and hypnotic percussion. The album is a showcase in creativity and atmospheric immersion from Helen Yee.
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“Noche de Julia” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Obscure Ambient’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
