Between BANKS and Lorde and Say Lou Lou and Lana Del Rey and Lykke Li, the downtempo ladies are truly having their moment in the sun — err, moonlight.
East London singer-songwriter (and/or Elusive Chanteuse) SLK (that’s pronounced “Silk”) is a relatively new name to add to the steadily growing list of brooding music makers. She’s about to drop her debut EP, Form, on May 26, helmed entirely by Lithuanian-born, London-based rising producer, Embody.
SLK’s music blends spooky, atmospheric production with soulful vocals, resulting in a kind of old school nostalgia-meets-next level sound. And already, she’s caught the right sort of attention: SLK’s tracks has been played on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music, among other key outlets.
“Call” — the latest song off of the EP, for instance — comes surging in with an Adele-like surge before giving way to Portishead-like creeptronica. “Call for me, call me now/Call to my animal,” she quiveringly declares above a searing stomp and a damning chant. OH-oh-oh-oh, oh! Evidently, there’s a ghost in this machine.
Other tracks from the EP offer richly layered production — and even more complex emotions: Gliding in on warm synth flares and a hollow knock, “Be” is a gorgeously moody slice of late night R&B, belonging in the same camp as The Weeknd: “Beautifully numb, silence becomes the loudest sound,” she coos before dropping into the sweeping chorus.
“Ride,” too, takes SLK’s dynamic voice and drizzles it evenly atop crinkling beats, oddly off-sounding instruments and ghostly backing vocals. (If Roisin Murphy were ever trapped inside the Haunted Mansion at Disney World, I imagine it’d sound something like this.)
For those looking for some slinky soulfulness to add to your late night playlists, allow SLK’s richly textured tunes to take you far, far away.
‘Form’ will be released on May 26. (iTunes)