Spandrel?

Description

In biology, a "spandrel" describes features of an organism that are not developments related to survival and seemingly have no clear function. This word is borrowed from an architectural term for the triangular spaces at the corners of an arch: small aesthetic elements that provide symmetry and delineate spaces. On their debut album, the musician and singer Evita Manji asks an enigmatic question: in the face of immense loss, which aspects of ourselves contribute to our resilience, and which are merely ornamentation? Their tracks, crafted from elements of contemporary club music, baroque pop, and experimental sound design, allow Manji to explore their relationship with the world and their inner self, deconstructing control systems and highlighting interconnectedness. For several years, Manji has been an ethereal presence in the music scene, collaborating with many artists as a sound artist and artistic director. Last year, they launched their own platform, myxoxym, where they unveiled two singles from Spandrel?. Manji created an ambitious charity compilation with Rainy Miller, Palmistry, Cecile Believe, and other artists, raising donations for ANIMA, the Greek wildlife protection fund. Performing worldwide at festivals such as Unsound, Lunchmeat, and Rhizom, Manji has also played in Berlin and London clubs and was chosen to represent the Shape+ platform in 2022. All these experiences permeate Spandrel?, contributing to an intricate artistic tapestry that explores the depths of existence, attempting to reconcile the gravity of climate change with themes of personal flourishing, love, and bodily autonomy. Spandrel? is an album that takes its time to unfold, and Manji's themes resonate through a story older than pop music. Tragic, romantic, and poetic, they resolutely refuse to look away from the most urgent concerns of our time.