The music of Catalan composer Marina Herlop has an alluring, ancient quality, its sense of old-world mystery complemented by her unconventional musical phrasing, experimental beats, and made-up language. All of these elements are present on Herlop’s single “La Alhambra,” from her upcoming album Nekkuja, which evokes a sense of spiritual awakening. Her atmospheric vocals echo like Gregorian chants inside a stone church, punctuated by a thudding drum. Midway, her soaring cries taper into a murmur before she finds her way back to us again. It’s a thrilling track, rooted in the emotional pull of Herlop’s rousing operatic arrangement. You can’t help but want to linger in her enigmatic world.
“La Alhambra”
Marina Herlop
The Catalan composer’s latest single evokes a sense of spiritual awakening.