While “Ascend” by VILLA hasn’t been out as long as the first song I wrote about for this column, it is another example of a song that has been lingering in my ‘On Repeat’ playlist since its release day. This song is an epic tune that never fails to get my blood pumping–and it is especially effective when listened to at loud volumes during my dreary morning commutes.
There is something thoroughly enjoyable about the unsettling subtleties of this song contrasted by just how truly grand it is.
Thoughts on “Ascend” by VILLA
In reference to this song, the artist tweeted, “it truly feels like you’re listening to a symphony in a haunted church” — and she’s absolutely right on that.
With “Ascend”, VILLA combines the grandeur of symphonic and hymnal music; however, it’s almost if the church she had in mind hasn’t been maintained in over a century, with ivy-laced moss growing on the north-facing side of it and a few broken windows just a little too high up on the stone wall for any typical human or creature to breach.
The symphony’s performance is what gets you through the church gates, but the music is a spell: the moment you hear the enrapturing synths is the moment you’re swept up off your feet and sent soaring around the inside of the church, reaching the impossibly-high peak of the bell tower before being jettisoned back down to the worn floorboards from which you came. Your journey ends as it began, leaving you at the entrance with just enough time to steady your feet for a standing ovation.
It’s tragic that no one warned you that if you peer through the stained glass windows as you soar past them, you’ll end up trapped in the rafters forever.
After all, their saturated sunbeams didn’t seem like a threat at the time…
Meet VILLA
VILLA is a DJ and producer who combines her love of orchestral atmospheres and hard-hitting trap elements into a unique form of hardwave that is a breath of fresh air to listen to. Her music has been released by labels such as Sable Valley and she has seen support from iconic artists like The Chainsmokers, RL Grime, Alison Wonderland, ISOxo, and Zeds Dead.
If you spend time with her discography, then you will learn that VILLA is constantly doing the unexpected, creating unique tunes that manage to be both perfect for dancing to–and for crying, screaming, and/or breaking shit to.
Her music is full of raw emotional power in the best possible sense– it’s both breathtaking and versatile as hell.
I can only imagine how good her live shows are; catching one is definitely a bucket list item for me.
Want more VILLA?
Back in April, VILLA released a new song, “SINK“. If you’re curious about VILLA as a DJ, you can find a few mixes on her SoundCloud, like the one she did last November for BBC1:
Follow VILLA:
SoundCloud | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
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