Ariahindream
... music fuses soul-led trip-hop with elements of synth-pop to deliver the otherworldly escape you crave. Spellbinding and spiritually charged, her music forms a noir-inspired cinematic soundtrack that is as visceral as it is invigorating.
Cinematic and emotionally vivid, you’ll feel every sound and every note deep in the centre of your chest as Ariah sings. The album’s emotional realism reinforces Ariah’s dedication to sharing the deepest parts of her soul in her art and sound, and her ability to make her audience feel the deepest, most visceral emotions through her work is taking the independent music scene by storm.
Ariah, thanks for your time, "Night Vision", your debut album, has been released today, some of the finest alternative/avant-pop with a dark twist, I'd say. How would you describe your album for our readers?
Hey, thanks for having me! That's a really awesome way to describe it. Night Vision for me is a sort of amalgamation of my interests in moon mythology, film noir culture, and dark electronic music. Sonically, I'd describe it as a blend of trip-hop, synth-pop, and at times maybe a little bit of baroque pop. I often think of it as Cinematic Noir with an experimental edge. There are sweeping synths, eerie textures, and a lot of choral/harmony work as I really love to explore texture and atmosphere in my work.
Written, produced and performed in your home studio, what was the most difficult part to get the album finished?
I think the hardest part was tying together all of my different interests into what felt like a cohesive body of work. That, and perhaps the fact that I was sort of spiralling in and out of depressive spells throughout the process. I feel there are glimpses of that throughout the eerie, visceral, and perhaps heart-wrenching confessions shared on the opening track inFear. Over time, as the album unfolds, we finally reach the swooping, sweeping spiritual metamorphosis explored in the closing track Selene.
The overarching narrative was intended as a sort of spiritual metamorphosis of Selene, the goddess of the moon in Greek mythology. I reimagined an uphill struggle of her evolving from a broken human into a prized deity. Though this concept initially came to me in reverse.
When I initially started writing Night Vision, I focused on exploring her descent from enlightenment to a cold cruel world. When played in reverse order, starting with Selene and ending with inFear, the album also tells that story.
How did you decide whether a song is on the album or not?
What an awesome question! There were actually several songs that I decided not to include, at least for the time being. I think the decision came down to trying to sort of boil down which songs and moods best conveyed key moments in the moon goddess' development. Musically as well, I really love to experiment, and can easily find myself going down a rabbit hole of explorations that are probably best reserved for my own private music vault haha! It was really important to me that each song served a specific purpose and didn't stray too far away from my reimagining of Selene's story.
That said, I have been thinking of potentially including an expanded version of the album that dials even deeper into each stage, and that could be a great time to share some of the other songs from the album recording sessions.
"Under Ice", "To Live" and "InFear" are my personal favorites, do you have some favorites as well?
Thank you - this is so interesting. You know, I was actually soo close to releasing Under Ice as a single. Like, tantalisingly close. I love all of the album songs, it's my debut, my baby! But when it comes to the tracks I've played the most, Under Ice is definitely one of them. I also find it really depends on my mood- as each song has it's own kind of vibe and energy. There are days when I have To Live on repeat, and days when I'm feeling a little low and turn to Inside.
Album means gigs, or in other words, any chance to see you live on stage?
Absolutely. Touring is definitely one of my long-term goals. I love the feeling of performing and connecting with my supporters in a live setting. For now, I'm mostly focused on recording, releasing, and connecting with more and more people online. I think it's an incredible time to be a musician... Social media gives us so many powerful ways to build an audience and connect with true fans. I'm really enjoying connecting with so many wonderful supporters of my work in the online space.
Then, once there is enough demand for a full-blown tour, it will be at the top of my to-do list! That said, I have been thinking a lot about performing private gigs and shows for some of my closest fans. I'll have more to share on that soon.
Besides music, are there any other interests, hobbies, etc. ?
Tons! I recently took up hot yoga, which has become a new obsession. I'm SO looking forward to getting back into it now that the album is launched and I have a little more time. Hmm let's see, I also enjoy watching boxing- which fits perfectly with the dreamy vibes of my music lol-, travelling to new countries, trying out new restaurants.
Anything that involves adventure and trying new things is likely to interest me. I'm also pretty obsessed with self-development, so things like meditating, reading self-improvement books, that kind of thing.
...and last but not least, what comes next?
More music! More videos! New livestream concerts, maybe even some custom-personalised songs for some of my closest fans. I've got my eyes firmly set on incorporating more virtual performances and experiences and creating a sort of virtual adventure park where like-minded kind-hearted people can connect and vibe over music, film, mythology, the arts. And of course, I'm already thinking about album number 2...
