Prepare for some truly unconventional dynamics and soundscaping on Meresha’s “Olivia.” On one level it has the vibe of a left field jazz pop song. But also like something Art of Noise might have done had it attempted a hip-hop-inflected R&B song. Vintage keyboard sounds sound like a sample place amid lo-fi electronic percussion and percussive tones to create what feels like layers of polyrhythms as backdrop to a song that warns against the perils of being addicted to the various enticements one can find in modern life. But the song sounds so surreal like a forgotten song for a tropical dance club set in an urban, non-dystopian 1980s science fiction movie. Like if the lead characters of the 1988 Baghdad Café made it out of there and decided to start the aforementioned dance in a suburb of Miami where somehow hurricanes and the effects of climate change never seemed to hit because the weird and benevolent energy of the endeavor put up a barrier against such things. It’s an unusual song but one that is so original it quickly grows on you and bears repeated listening. Check out “Olivia” on YouTube and follow Meresha at the links below.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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