“Wherever You Are, I will call that place my home” never sounded more haunting than when it dripped from the lips of Arema Arega.
On her single, “Wherever You Are” the Cuban singer-songwriter displays a vast array of influences. Afro cuban jazz, trip hop, neo soul, and indie pop all come together like a lucid acid trip full of peaks and valleys. The music transcends like a journey through an unfamiliar world.
If the bridge is the part of the song that explains the narrative, Arega gives it away when she explains “Now if you say I can go back I’m sorry it’s too late” before adding later, “I Can’t Stop Thinking of You,” at which point our suspicions regarding her devilish intentions are realized. Her scratchy, smoky voice sets the mood, and her use of sampling in the production creates the perfect backdrop to tell her story; a tale of unhealthy obsession.
Arega is currently working on a large project created as a score for an imaginary film where she composes, produces, arranges, and also makes her own music videos to introduce listeners to her cinematic world. “Wherever You Are” is the kind of work that draws up heavy imagery. Arema’s music, which draws from both traditional instrument based elements as well as electronic tools such as drum samples, creates a new modern reality for you to get lost in, much like the work of the always evolving producers behind Thievery Corporation.
Arema Arega is featured on our Women of Trip Hop playlist alongside other similar artists. We are excited to see where she pushes the genre. Her music has no limits.
Written by
The Wild Is Calling 