With Mothers, Philly artist Kristine Leschper has put the dark and doom-ridden aspects of her humanity under an inquisitive magnifying glass. It’s an artistic phase that has apparently ground to a halt with the release of solo track “Figure And I”. Mind you, Leschper’s about-face doesn’t entail putting up mirror balls and churning out disco bangers (although we’re entertained by the thought of what that would sound like).
“Figure And I” still contains somewhat of a sinister undertone, but explores many more varying textures than Mothers, including synths and percussion. There’s the seductive handclaps that remind us a bit of Radiohead’s “Lotus Flower” or Rotterdam artist Alicia Breton Ferrer’s “Having Fun“. The song has a folkloric, ritualistic element to it that flies well with Leschper’s disembodied, otherworldly vocals, sounding as if beckoning out from a chilling phantom zone.
“For the first time, I used my hands to clap out a rhythm that spoke to me. I don’t have much experience with percussion, so I was thrilled by the ease and accessibility of using hands as an instrument,” Leschper comments on the track. “It’s such a long-standing and fundamental way of making sound in folk traditions around the world, and to use it makes me feel rooted in a deeper sense of time. As a poet, too, I hold an enthusiasm for the symbolism of hands, as a symbol of work, of community or offering, or holding and being held.”
No album or EP has been announced yet, but the song has been released by home label ANTI-, so there’s a safe bet this isn’t the first glimpse of Leschper’s new project. You can follow Leschper on Instagram and Twitter.
Additionally, her many other multi-disciplinary activities and projects can be explored on her official website.
