Sparkle Glitch is an electro-pop artist born of classical choral music from Los Angeles, whose various music attractions-like EDM, dubstep, fantasy folklore, and spirituality-have been woven into an unclassifiable tapestry of sound. “Battle Maiden” is a record that juxtaposes demure vulnerability with grandiose, almost cinematic melodrama.
October 31st, 2024, is when "Battle Maiden" was released, but to me, that was Sparkle Glitch planting a flag firmly in her very own corner of the musical landscape. Rarely has intense emotion been so tastefully married to experimental production as on this record, though Sparkle Glitch appears almost unwittingly to have created something deeply personal, with the intimate and the otherworldly combined into one work of immersive music.
“Battle Maiden” leads off the EP with pure power and grace, the essence of a warrior descending into battle. Underlying this track is a pulsing synth bass that provides the foundation of the song, with layers of glitch-generated percussion, soaring vocal harmonization, and an all-but-hypnotic tension.
“Utopia” is at an even more dreamlike and intensive stage. Sparkly synth arpeggios atop a driving beat open the track and immediately send the listener off to some opulent, futuristic landscape. Effects courtesy of Sparkle Glitch are striking here; they're layered with slight distortions giving way to something otherworldly, like a guiding voice through enchanted terrain.
"Bluebird" is a tender homage to Sparkle Glitch's mother. Birdsong field recordings weave in and out of the mix, coming in and going out while injecting a natural beauty into the whole work. Her voice is delivered very sparingly and very much from within, somewhat akin to intimacy and conversation.
"Immortal Dryad" is where the fantasy of the EP comes to the fore. It's a buzzing, organic rhythmic loop-driven track, in constant shift, that over time develops a feeling akin to a forest full of breathing. The synths sound rich and full, forming a lively soundscape. During the drop, the chorus becomes euphoric-layered textures of waves, rising and falling, sucking the listener into the magic of the track.
"Elementals," which closes out the EP, is a coming together of all Battle Maiden stands for. This is all based on Sparkle Glitch's love of experimental EDM, with trap beats providing a solid foundation for the soaring synths. The vocal processing here is pretty eerie, with Sparkle Glitch's voice echoing like a distant realm, very much in line with the expansive soundscape that unfolds.
This work brings into relief the impeccable production job exhibited on Battle Maiden, arguably one of the defining points of the release. Every sound has a purpose: from crackling textures buried within the mix to the soft alterations in reverb and delay giving the EP its immersive properties. Combining analog synthesizers courtesy of Makro Music with a warmth so starkly juxtaposed to the cut-glass sharpness of their digital brethren. Other nature sounds, like bees, birds, and rustling leaves, further provide an organic foil to the synthetic parts of the EP.
An album that presents itself as an experience, Sparkle Glitch calls for listeners to enter a world of healing, dreams, and strength. The EP doesn't mark a milepost for Sparkle Glitch; instead, it pushes the panorama of what is possible in electro-pop. An emotional journey, experimental production, or pure imagination-whatever, Battle Maiden is something worth it, you can find it right away on Spotify.