Since 2021, Rotterdam-based artist Mia Porter has been releasing a series of thoughtful, resonant and quirky singles. The latest of these unique songs is ‘Meditating in Asia’, which is an inviting blend of indie-folk and avant-garde pop that welcomes listeners into Porter‘s transformative world of storytelling. With this track, the artist walks a fine line between heartbreak and humour in this insightful display of carefully balanced textures, tones and themes.
From the very opening, the atmosphere is cautious and sensitive, with a backdrop of shuffling percussion and caressed strings. In keeping with this tender feeling, Porter‘s own voice is breathy and laid-back, allowing her emotions to peer out from behind the curtain gradually and with a certain sense of bashfulness. However, that shyness doesn’t last too long. By the one minute mark, the track blossoms into a swooning swell of blousy horns and sumptuous bass, backed by swirling wind of vocal samples. It conveys those moments of striking nostalgia, when you allow yourself to swim in the pool of memory.
This dreamy aesthetic continues throughout the track, its almost formless nature contrasts to the unpredictable switches of Mia Porter‘s spell-binding vocal performance. She delivers ebullient highs and sincere whispers that conveys the deep complexities of dealing with a broken heart.
More than a fascinating single ‘Meditating in Asia’ is also a preview of Mia Porter‘s upcoming debut album, set for release in Spring 2024.
You can also listen to ‘Meditating in Asia’ in our Outsiders Club playlist.
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