Ersha Island - Double Single Review: Good Day/Gut Feeling
Ersha Island consists of Auckland based siblings Danielle Hao-Aickin (vocals and keys) and Tee Hao-Aickin (violin) both of whom bring extensive musical training and experience into this foray into a more contemporary genre. Quite a bit of press attention has already gone the way of this duo, and even a cursory read of this reveals two highly motivated women with a clear vision of what they are doing- in terms of both the musical intent and cultural perspective.
Their first release is a 'double single', which is something of a clever move that allows an exposition of their sound with a little more depth and variation. The phrase we used to hear many moons ago was ‘Double A side’, but in any case, the result provides a suitably wide expanse to reveal the musical landscape these two are covering.
Of the two songs, Good Day has an introspective mood, and introduces the two most significant elements at play here - the melodic work on voice and violin. A strong melodic sense is apparent in both of these solo voices, a good indicator of musicians who have spent time at their craft. A deeper listen reveals a sophisticated harmonic sense that you would also expect from musicians with this level of experience. Good Day is a tune where intelligently structured and arranged music is combined with a sensitive production mindset to good effect.
The other song, Gut Feeling goes for a down tempo funky groove, which makes for a darker overall feel. Perhaps not as lush as the arrangement for Good Day, but no less effective for that, the relatively sparse beat and harmonic progressions allow the melodic and rhythmic elements to come to the fore. Again, the skill in combining musical elements to create a mood is a hallmark of intelligent musicians at work.
Taken together, Good Day and Gut Feeling are a strong and considered exposition of a sound from two musicians with a mature and truly global perspective.
About Ersha Island
Having chalked up early achievements in Classical Performance at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing, sisters Dani and Tee now create mesmerising and memorable soul-pop compositions featuring their piano and violin pedigree.
Ersha Island performed at Grrrl Fest (Hamilton, 2021), and have been writing new music in both English and Mandarin; they will release their debut singles Gut Feeling and Good Day on 22-2-22 on both Western and Asian/Chinese platforms.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Ersha Island
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