Alma Elste is a Parisian 22 year old with a promising musical future. Touted as a “one-to-watch” in 2014 by Shadazz (a french music blog). With the finest production and cleanest, meanest cuts you could possibly find this week, a voice to fall in love with… She is back with “Virtualism” her latest track. Once a stunning demo it is today finally ready to be shared with the masses. And boy she sticks it right up there on top of the pile. If you fell for Tei Shi, or Shura recently, you’ll definitely fall for Alma Elste. No doubt. It’s -ahem- her second track ever. A foot well inside the door, and you’ll see her hover above everyone else in the months to come.
‘Virtualism’ by French artist Alma Elste appeared almost two years ago in its demo version, now it’s back, fully done, highly polished, and heavy on the synth – which by turns whirls in savage arpeggios, grinds your ears with distorted, gravelly bass, and induces a sense of bliss with washes of floating chords. It’s a decidedly darker venture than her demo suggested, especially with the slightly brutal ending, but the sentiment is still there in Elste’s lyrics. She sings about playing GTA, stealing baseball cards, and sings the ultimately heartbreaking line, “I could almost see myself with you.”
Alma Elste – Virtualism
What “Virtualism” unquestionably is, is a superbly piece of brooding electropop. The synth lines ooze out, smoke-like, through twists and turns of a futuristic dystopia, drums rolling like the cityscape coming into view as you drive down the highway. There is a shudder of electronics like the engine of a ship hovering above the streets, a spotlight shining on the various miscreants below. Think Vangelis meets Giorgio Moroder. It’s fantastically dark, blurred and cinematic and new or not, it’s well worth listening to again and again.
Alma Elste – Virtualism Lyrics:
I’m in your car
wE run red lights
I don’t give a damn about it
Drinking four years
Plunging tears
Drinking for years
I stole some baseball cards
The years behind
Give up our lives
We can always seem so more
The years behind
Give up our lives
We can always seem so more
We lost our soul arise
We’ll make it
We lost our soul arise
We’ll make it
I can’t call you back
How could I know ….
With you
I’m in your car
wE run red lights
I don’t give a damn about it
I’m in your car
wE run red lights
I don’t give a damn about it
