In a November announcement last year, Berlin’s vega vi introduced her upcoming EP titled “AFLOAT,” set for a release on March 22, 2024, under the Lemonrise Records label. The unveiling began with the drop of the initial single, “Find a Place.” Today, vega vi gifts us with the EP’s namesake track, “Afloat,” granting another glimpse into her latest project.
This track induces a sense of sensory surrender, its pulsing beat and fluid melody inviting listeners to become engulfed in the present. The ethereal synths underpin vega vi’s velvety voice, while the song itself is an embodiment of the EP’s core theme. “I worked a lot with my vocals on this track and built pads and elements in all kinds of ways. The lyrics eventually dissolve completely into the sound, reflecting the surrender to the moment,” explains vega vi herself. Accompanying the track’s launch is its visual accompaniment, a music video envisioned and brought to life by director Rhys Powell.
After asserting herself with her premiere EP “Love Letter,” vega vi enters the “AFLOAT” era with an aura of unencumbered grace. Freed from the weights of expectation, she embraces her artistic impulses: “… swimming, I keep myself afloat, I feel the waves, they move me, I flow in rhythm with them – they don’t overwhelm me, but they don’t let me go either, I’m part of them,” explains the musician.
At the production level, the focus of the EP is on reduction and clarity in the sound world, while still allowing creative soundscapes to fully unfold. A sound with room for playfulness and a love of storytelling. The new EP is also a collaborative development for vega vi: the new tracks were co-produced by Nicl Brandt, with collaborations including producer Raynor de Groot (Coloray) and additional sound design by Freya van Husen. “In comparison, the current EP is much more collaborative, as I feel that I have found my own production sound through my first EP and can therefore open up to other ideas much more freely, because I can assess how I want to accept and integrate them”.
Lyrics are very important to vega vi as an intermediate door between sound and thoughts – this becomes clear again and again when listening to the new songs. Themes about interpersonal relationships, openness, growth, motivation and simply having fun run through the EP
At its essence, “AFLOAT” serves as a metaphor for the artistic journey—a balance of buoyancy and yielding to life’s torrents. “This reflects my existence: Flinta* producer & artist with a small team to build a world with a strong vision, both aurally and visually. With ‘AFLOAT’ I associate myself in the gentle swell that I cannot control, surrender to the movement and abandon myself to the unknown – confident that I will stay afloat,” explains vega vi.
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Feature photo by @rhyspll
“AFLOAT” releases March 22nd 2024 via Lemonrise Records
