- Propulsive trance with deep, craggy textures to get lost in.
- As an infographic-ready buzzword, "selfcare" usually means lighting candles, pouring a glass of wine or dancing a little to let off some steam. It's been reduced to a treat-yourself, smooth-brain mentality that rarely alleviates stress (or the source of it). For Montreal producer Maara-Louisa Dunbar, self-care is the end point of radical self-love—how can you know how to care for a self you haven't accepted? Over the past year, Maara's been exploring these themes through proggy dance tracks, layering heavily gated vocals and breathy mantras over throbbing beats. Her newest release, Spiral 2 The Other Side, is a hypnotic journey inward, offering a chance—as she coos throughout the title track—"to fully inhabit" oneself.
Maara is a very effective guide, displaying an expert understanding of how small elements can yield big dynamic changes. Two minutes into "Forget The World," Maara lets almost all rhythmic elements drop out completely, reconstituting a rigid house beat by adding a hi-hat and clap. Synthetic bongos and moaning vocals appear moments later, softening the track's hard edges into a blissed-out groove.
Unlike some of her earlier releases, Spiral 2 The Other Side focuses on texture over melody. Beneath the thump of Maara's kick drums, she constructs an interlocking network of filter pings, little acid wobbles and vocal samples. This doesn't make the songs here darker than her previous work, but does put them in a more ritualistic territory. The drums are the anchor and, rather than offering a catchy melody to latch onto, Maara uses the latticework of background noise to draw you further into the beat. These tracks are designed to induce trance states, achievable whether you're sweating on the dancefloor or simply vibing by yourself.
Tracklist01. Spiral 2 The Other Side
02. Take The Wheel Miss Sweetie
03. Forget The World
04. Doom Quest