SWAQ is the collaboration between Rose Bonica and Tiiny Knives (Eve Rakow), who joined forces to create what can only be described as an auditory ode to absurdism. Their debut EP SO SWAQ is definitely not your laid-back evening listening and, if I’m being honest, therein lies its charm.
The 4-track electronic offering could be described as atmospheric, but that doesn’t really do it justice when in fact it fully leaves the atmosphere and takes you on a deep dive into outer space. It’s a dynamic and daring melting pot of eclectic sounds that are so at odds with each other they shouldn’t work together but somehow do.
A techno-fied, synth-drenched spectacle, SO SWAQ’s sound is both compelling and cacophonous in a Grimes kind of way. Ethereal vocals deliver lyrics that could possibly be a social commentary on our technology-obsessed lives (but then again, I can’t be sure), playfully navigating a sound that manages to be both experiential and experimental.
From the dreamlike appeal of “ALMOST ENTIRELY TRANSLUCENT” to the frenetic beats of “VIRTUAL MEMORY”, SWAQ have created a sound that is beautiful and bizarre and will certainly grab your attention. It’s definitely not for everyone, but I think that’s the point.
