If, like me, you prefer your folk music with a sharper edge or a touch of ‘indie’ then this 4-track demo may offer interest and sustenance in the way of Adem or the peerless Kristen Hersh. BILKIS is the performance name of Sophie Pathan an East Londoner who, like Adem, records her efforts at home.
It’s a minimalist affair with an emphasis on vocal harmony but, crucially, BILKIS uses far more arresting arrangements for her songs, preferring to avoid the typical ‘strum and hum’ of folk and opting for an organic sound that stands out from the typical garden varieties that are two-a-penny. Recognising that her voice and vocal arrangements are the key to both emotion and melody within her songs she wisely keeps the instrumental back-drop to something simple and engagingly supportive of her voice.
Despite the sparsity of setting she retains sweetness in her music that makes it all the more accessible but importantly never falls into the trap of overcooking the sugar and turning it into syrup. She skilfully shapes a shadowy musical backdrop to her songs against which her voice successfully throws out its light and warmth. On songs like ‘Ever’ and ‘Such Amazing Skies’ the effect is two fold: on one level the songs can be admired for their intuitive craftsmanship and self-awareness but can also flow with a hypnotic grace that sprinkles some magic to set the hairs on end.
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BILKIS admits that she’s experimenting with other instruments and the use of programmed sounds, as the outro to ‘Water Garden’ and the brief instrumental ‘Blue Bird’ both testify. It will be interesting to hear these experiments and to see if they offer textures and tones as equally captivating as those on this demo.
BILKIS currently gigs around London and is accompanied by vocalist Stacey De-Looze to maintain those sensual harmonies. You can catch her on June 2nd at Jamie’s Bar on Charlotte Street and on June 29th at the Hope & Anchor.
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