The new EP continues to showcase the intricate and ethereal majesty of the alt-pop artist’s sound
Since her emergence back in 2018, alternative pop artist MOLTENO has been establishing a wonderfully ethereal and atmospheric sound that has an air and feel to it that feels entirely her own. Her 2022 debut EP Element 1 provided listeners with a fleshed out and realised showcase of the artist’s vision and sound, packed full of immersive moments and appeal, and the artist has now released a success to that release in the form of Element 2.
The new EP opens with ‘Aer (To The Cloud Line)’, a short introduction to the album that sets a precedent for what is to come with, melding lush, celestial vocals with razor sharp trip-hop beats that create this really engrossing duality and sense of contrast, setting the tone effortlessly and leading into the massively successful single ‘Moonlight’.
It is easy to see why this track has been celebrated as such a breakout success, with the artist finding an immaculate balance between the airy lightness of her sound and the more expansive intricacies that fill it full of wonder and creativity. A narrative surrounding the theme of travelling in the night through our dreams lends itself really nicely to the thoughtful and celestial tone of the EP, and compliments the sound beautifully throughout, making for a release that feels as interesting as it is catchy and charming.
The floaty appeal of ‘Clouds’ follows, and brings with it a sound that doubles down on this airy and light appeal in order to mirror the clouds themselves. The track’s trip-hop instrumental takes on a softer and more alluring tone on the release, providing a more organic and flowing feel that has this seamless feel to it that is so easy to lose yourself within. By the time that the track gently fades away, it feels more than likely that it will have shifted your mood to something all the more laid-back and content, such is its dreamy nature.
The EP closes out with the hypnotising ‘Stars’, a track that has a much more deliberate and focussed feel to it, poised in its movements and slow pace but still armed with the breezy lightness of the MOLTENO’s vocals. The artist’s left-field sonic quirks and the attention to detail makes for a listening experience that feels entirely all-encompassing and stirring, rounding out the EP in gorgeously poised fashion.
Throughout the duration of Element 2, there is a really captivating and moving quality that feels quite unlike anything else, somehow evoking a feeling of nostalgia and stripped-back authenticity and honesty while having these boundary-pushing, forward-thinking soundscapes. It is a blend of the dreamy and soft and the razor sharp and ambitious that you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere else, and it gives each track a distinctive appeal and flavour that feels 100&% MOLTENO.
