by Phil Scarisbrick

On her 2019 debut, Bath Time, Maija Sofia used her voice to shine a spotlight on historical female figures, and, in the process, bring them into focus to an audience that may well have been previously been unaware of them. The sparse arrangements, largely comprised of Sofia’s voice and electric guitar, added an intimate feel to the record. Now, she is returning with her first new music in three years with new single, O Theremin, and while it is a sonic departure from Bath Time, it remains as distinctly interesting as her debut.

The eponymous Theremin makes an early appearance in the song – creating a melody that would not sound out of place over an early Jean Cocteau film. Written after a long period of isolation, coupled only with deep dives into the deepest rabbit holes on the internet, Sofia saw how we are simultaneously watching the world and being watched by the world. ‘Are you listening to all the things I’ve been thinking? / Watch me, my screen is flickering I dream in blue light, I dream in binary / O professor, what have you learned from me?’ she sings, flitting between the accentuated spoken word and sung.

What drew you in to Sofia’s music on Bath Time was how endlessly interesting her words were, and how the melodies that delivered them became firmly lodged in your psyche. It seems that those two qualities are not only still present, but have been developed into an exciting new direction. Teasing us with this first glimpse, whatever she has in store for us will no doubt be as wonderful.

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