‘Yi The Sun’ marks our point of entry into Yijia’s remarkable, cathartic artistic universe. A uniquely placed composition, the track seeks to unite the ancient sound of the Yi ethnic minority group from Southwestern China with Western club-oriented electronica, all with a generous amount of hazy, leftfield energy. The listening experience is unlike anything we have heard before; ‘Yi The Sun’ develops slowly, with Yijia’s angelic vocal soundscapes creating an overwhelmingly soothing and spiritual tapestry, one that slowly morphs into an eclectic, striking beat.
Taken from the London-based songstress’s upcoming album ‘TU’, the single helps us come to terms with the project’s kaleidoscopic identity, from its futuristic, trance-flavoured beat to its psychedelic harmonies rooted in tradition and millennia; everything feels dreamy, as if we were witnessing some kind of aural mirage; a glorious, grounding sensation, yet an ephemeral one. Yijia brightened our senses for just over four minutes, and we could never forget it. Lucky for us, there’s more to come.
Delving deeper into the inspiration behind ‘Yi The Sun’, Yijia explains: “I was really drawn by this particular field recording a musician friend sent me, and later on I took a DNA test and it turns out I’m more than a quarter related to the Yi ethnic minority, despite not knowing that growing up and being disconnected with the culture and language. The lyrics of the song are a post-apocalyptic setting of returning to your home on Earth after being away for a long time, and having this fusion of futuristic ambient psychedelic trance beat on top of an old traditional song. Sometimes I refer to this song as taking my ancestors clubbing.”
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