Following the success of four acclaimed albums with Iamthemorning, lyricist, singer, and co-composer Marjana Semkina (also known as Mariana) releases her enchanting debut solo album, Sleepwalking. Characterized by a unique voice, intricate melodic lines, and poetic lyrics with literary references, Semkina is often compared to Kate Bush. The new material draws inspiration from Iamthemorning’s soundscape but fully manages to break away from it; an irresistible blend of alternative folk, pop, drama, beauty, and emotionally purifying lyrics. To help her record her vision for Sleepwalking, Marjana invited renowned keyboardist, drummer, and bassist Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Craig Blundell and Nick Beggs (Steven Wilson), as well as the St. Petersburg "1703" Orchestra and her collaborator Vlad Avy. The album artwork references Semkina’s love for classical art, bringing together photography with the 17th-century Vanitas movement, a genre of still life painting that includes symbolic objects, the inevitability of death and the fleetingness of earthly pleasures, urging the viewer to consider their own mortality.
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