The last time I checked in on Leyla Romanova, I found her at the cinematic and orchestrally infused end of the electronica spectrum with her Christopher Nolan-inspired sonic tribute, “Cybersymphony.” This time out, it is still the film world that powers her creativity, specifically how films, although often seen as mere entertainment, can deliver powerful messages and act as poignant reminders in our lives.
Like most people who have watched “The Matrix,” the message that Leyla Romanava took from it is that boundaries and realities are often of our own making, and although we might not be dodging bullets or fighting digital agents, those challenges have mirrors in the real world and so too does the feeling that we have the power to defeat them, often by seeing through them, by reprogramming them, by creating our own prefered versions of reality.
However, over the years, that message became lost, and it was only through recently rewatching that groundbreaking film that she recalled the self-belief she once had and a feeling of being unplugged from the mundane, embracing a greater reality.
That, in essence, is what runs through the music: both a sonic tribute to the film and a celebration of the feeling of freedom, in this case, not just personal but creative freedom, of permitting herself to make music as she sees fit.
And so “The One Uncoded” is a blend of clubland electronica and orchestrated digital deliciousness, of strident dance beats and clever sonic nods to the film itself. It is a darkwave-infused piece of cinematic soundscaping, one that seamlessly blends grandeur with glitch and groove with grace. And even in such an avant-garde and adventurous place, sounds as varied as classical piano interludes, drifting Gregorian chant, and Parisian cafe music still come as a wonderful surprise.
Leyla Ramonova is one of a kind, someone who makes music that is both unique and expressive, who moves around the musical map, not only from one song to the next but within the songs themselves. She is unpredictable and navigates the sonic world in ways that most creatives can only envy.
“The One Uncoded” is not only a tribute to “The Matrix” but also music made by applying the lessons that lie at its binary beating heart.
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