Arriving to the industry in 2022 with their lauded single, ‘Planet Eyes’, Ciinema have returned to bless our ears with their debut self-titled EP. Influenced by the likes of Little Dragon, Phoebe Bridgers, FKJ, and Tom Misch, the New Zealanders are showing themselves to be competent rising stars, working to make 2023 a pivotal year.
The project takes the sounds we expected from their music, and builds upon them, creating an infectious mix of synth-pop and indie-rock that stays alternative whilst enticing you with catchy melodies. Groovy melodies are scattered generously across it’s six-track length, breezy guitar lines, funky synths, glittery keys all make a feature. The vocals are guide you through these sounds with confidence and grace, a truly exciting new artist in Ciinema.
Speaking about the E.P, they say: “The genesis of this EP stretches back to rosier pre-pandemic times when a headspace filled with the possibilities of new and old romances felt bigger than the place the world ended up for a significant period of our youth. This EP tells the story of ambiguous power plays of love, sex, and friendship (Planet Eyes, The Designers, Light Me Up, Cruel Inventions). The songs are a kind of ode to the sublime jeopardy that comes with navigating one’s self into a more grown up kind of love. But ultimately, the lyrics relate to appreciating and enjoying the turmoil and dramatics of this process because you only get to experience it once.
The EP also touches on the tension between trying to exist as an artist while surviving the nine to five of working in medical imaging as a radiographer (Safe As Houses, Lockdown). It’s about seeing what you do within a hospital environment on a daily basis and wondering if the gravity of that makes dedicating yourself to a creative pursuit less or all the more important.
At the end of the day, beauty and whimsy can hold the same gravity as life and death when your daily life exists somewhere between science and art.
Sonically, the songs are a dreamy mix of reverb fuelled guitars, soaring jubilant synthesisers, with a rhythmic blend of electronic drums layered with more eclectic forms of percussion.
This is pop music that aims to envelop the listener in an immersive and comforting way. We hope these songs are a dreamy reprieve for whatever the listener happens to be going through, and that despite the heaviness of recent times, they can listen to Ciinema and feel like it’s okay to dive headfirst into the nostalgia of youth, imagination, and desire.”
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