GIKA, IOANNA - Thalassa (Sealed) (CD)

the tension Gika creates isn't just palpable; it makes you want a cigarette and someone to hug. It's the musical equivalent of the initial descent of a roller coaster_" - Rolling Stone // "Ioanna Gika is a boon for the dark ethereal electronic scene. The singer's angelic voice and ghostly reverberations on debut single `Roseate' form a delicate marriage with the progressive immediacy of the song's driving beat, a unique fusion of ballad and pulsating dance track." - Revolver // The debut solo album from Ioanna Gika, Thalassa, takes its name from the primeval spirit of the sea, a nod to the singer's Greek heritage and a thematic touchstone for the self-produced 10 song set. Written in Greece during a period of familial grief and romantic dissolution, Thalassa documents an unanchored soul facing nature at its most unforgiving. Gika's unique voice is laid bare, a beacon above the black water of dense, looming production that lies beneath. Her elegiac lyrics chart a path through her own mourning, while luring the ear like a siren's call. From expansive opener "Roseate" to the stark loneliness of closer "Drifting", she channels the helplessness of being plunged into the depths of Thalassa's great waves, along with the adrenaline of not knowing if she will come up for air. Gika has also contributed original music to a number of noteworthy films, including Harmony Korine's Rebel, Universal Pictures Dracula, and was shortlisted by the academy for her original song `Gone' in Snow White and The Huntsman. Thalassa is the debut album from Ioanna Gika, formerly known as IO Echo