Tonight this city breathes with me
she makes me dream big
and you, you glow in the dark
but you’re so far…
Like many, the global pandemic left Kid Moxie, aka Elena Charbila, stuck in her Los Angeles home. Rather than allowing anxiety or worry to get the better of her, she used the time to relentlessly work on a collection of new material, driven on by a single phrase.
The new single, “Better Than Electric”, boasts opulent atmospherics and evocative lyrics about longing for a faraway love. The song was born via an exchange of lyrics and music with British electronic producer MAPS (James Chapman), who ended up producing it; Charbila added some synths and vocals. “Better Than Electric” is sonically meant to evoke the Downtown LA skyline, a visual that inspired the song, and sparked the concept for the entire album of the same name.
“I was obsessed with that title, ‘Better Than Electric,’ with how it made me feel, and with how it would translate to sound,” she says. It’s a wistful love song about being in a long-distance relationship and the feelings that come with that. It’s very honest and very emotional.”
Her voice is confident, at times recalling Sarah Cracknell from Saint Etienne, or The Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler in tone and style. Her singing exhibits an ethereal, almost gossamer quality, as if it’s being piped in from another universe.
“This album is as close to my emotional and sonic sensibilities as can possibly be,” she enthuses. “It’s a blending of everything I love to listen to, every song is a cinematic scene, and the lyrics are there to ideally serve the picture.”
The gorgeous video, directed by Joe Rubinstein and featuring dancer Olga Sokolova, is a gorgeous, minimalist dance piece exploring sensuality and the power of touch, bringing to mind the work of Kate Bush.
Watch the video for “Better Than Electric” below:
Originally from Greece, Charbila’s musical CV is impressive: from accompanying superstar crooner Michael Bublé to collaborating with David Lynch’s right-hand composer Angelo Badalamenti, as well as writing music for countless soundtracks, TV commercials, and video games.
A chance encounter with a can of Moxie Cola accelerated her notion of creating a permanent musical alter-ego, and Kid Moxie was auspiciously born. “I like to call my music cinematic pop,” she explains, and the cinematic element found in the spellbinding atmospheres she weaves in her music can’t be overstated.
Kid Moxie’s new album Better Than Electric is due out in early 2022.
Listen to the title track on the streaming service of your choice here.
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