That BPitch Control would be the home for an artist like
Aerea Negrot, clearly and happily engaging with the world as she sees fit, as much in the realm of the musical as the geographic, seems apt. BPitch Control's
Ellen Allien, more than many label heads, seems less interested in promoting clones than in distinct visions, and
Negrot's multilingual, slippery style brings an electronic pop that seems to be constantly fraying in different directions while her strong, playful voice sweeps and calmly sings like she's on ice and in perfect control of every direction she's heading. If there's a connection to her guest work with
Hercules & Love Affair, it lies in the feeling of constant forward motion, but
Negrot's flexibility with sonic twists and arrangements is very much its own world. Just hearing her playful way around German on "Deutsche Werden," an off-kilter kind of cabaret and role play, is worth the attention. "Berlin" is even more of that feeling, piano, spoken word introduction, the clink of glasses in a club and more, while the stellar "It's Lover, Love" could be from the ultimate cruise of dreams, something that shows up a lot of neo-yacht rock/chillwave/whatever one wants to term it with calm focus and poised singing brought to bear. The title track feels almost like a short story in song form,
Negrot making a line like "From a Diet Pepsi!" have a sudden cutting resonance while operatic echoes and crisp handclaps surround the delivery. When she proclaims "This is a love song" over the crisp, nervy four-to-the-floor punch of "Todeloo," then grapples with familial relationships under pressure while she proudly stands up for being "not your dream," it's confident and engaging liberation come to life. ~ Ned Raggett