UMBRAL

Sofia Rei is an Argentinian singer, songwriter and producer whose fearless experimentation takes you to untold musical heights. Her fifth album, UMBRAL, is a masterclass in how to combine folkloric tradition with digital futurism. The album has an enchanting authenticity derived from Rei allowing her unique personality to be revealed in music.

UMBRAL (Threshold) was conceived in the mountains of the Elqui Valley, Chile. Rei completed a solo trek across the rugged terrain with two backpacks of recording gear. The resulting sound can broadly be described as Latin folk infused with spacey loops, samples, synths and digi-wizardry. There's a big jazz vibe, notes of hip-hop and some pleasing womp. Rei's (classically-trained) singing voice is the top line, though. Not only does it soar with sonic beauty, it chirps, clicks, whistles, speaks and resonates wonderfully. Stand out tracks are ‘Un Mismo Cielo’, which neatly summarises the album's sound; ‘Helvética’, which has echoes of Ana Tijoux; and opener, ‘La Otra’, which leaps from glitch to Andes, synth to plucked strings, soprano singing to unusual phrasing. Not a record for folk purists or easy listeners, UMBRAL is a raw expression of curious creativity and brave experimentation. Sublime.