Untitled Pt. 2
By Jessie Marcella
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Leeds based composer Jessie Marcella presents her second solo EP release on Reflections with ‘Untitled Pt. 2’.
Jessie joined our label family this summer with ‘Untitled’. The 4-track EP garnered support from Sian Eleri on BBC Radio 1 and showcased Marcella’s ability to compose music that uplifts and subdues at the same time. Her new EP ‘Untitled Pt. 2’ is a continuation of this project, with 4 more ambient compositions to sink into.
Jessie’s always been drawn to deep, emotive soundscapes. She’s classically trained in the clarinet, and found early inspiration in her work from the likes of Sigur Rós and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Much of Marcella’s inspiration for this EP comes from nature, growing up in Devizes, Wiltshire, a small, peaceful market town not far from Bristol.
It’s easy to over-think when writing ambient music, so Jessie always aims to keep it simple. Marcella describes her music-making process as a series of happy accidents. She’ll write a melancholy melody on her home studio keyboard and use a range of plug-ins to extend, deconstruct and distort. She created ‘Untitled Pt.2’ in Ableton Live, favouring piano, strings and subtle percussion alongside her own stretched-out vocals.
‘Untitled 05’, for example, was originally meant as an interlude, and began with a string melody. Marcella loved the rawness and depth, and added her own ghostly vocals to create a stripped-back and majestic introductory track. ‘Untitled 06’ sounds like a combination of a heartbeat and breathing, with light, bird-like flute adding sunshine to the composition, mirroring Marcella’s connection to the outdoors. ‘Untitled 07’ is a piano-leaning track with a reflective melody and wistful synths, and the only track of the EP with an audible beat. ‘Untitled 08’ was recorded with eight string players from Up North Orchestra, which is why it sounds so visceral.
Nothing has a title because Marcella wants her listeners to approach the EP with a clean mind and no pre-dispositions. “It’s like when you read a book before you’ve watched the film version, your imagination comes into play,” Marcella says. “That’s what I’m going for – I want people to just listen and feel and trust their own instincts.”
‘Untitled Pt.2’ is out now on Reflections.
