Opening track ‘Ceylon’ slides open from crackling, glitchy beats and elegant piano into one of this album’s strongest downbeat moments, a tangible hiphop pulse wandering its way beneath echoing electronics, synthetic bass and a hint of feathery flamenco guitar fretwork, as Madita’s spectacular voice rings out, under and through the lush elements in a manner that suggests G-Stone sent soaring into vocal territory. One particular strength that has to be mentioned that really adds to this record is the fact that Madita has the confidence to sing in her own ‘voice’, and while her stylings certainly indicate a familiarity with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday and Bjork, the delivery here sits worlds apart from the legions of similar nu-jazz tinged vocalists subsumed by their influences to near-pastiche level. ‘Monotony’ swings with buzzing synthetic basslines making their way alongside jazzy pianos and samba-infused live drum rhythms as Madita purrs, scats and howls over the fluid live beats in a manner that suggests a particularly smoky jazz club, while ‘Mood’ descends into swooning downbeat soul, Madita’s smooth multitracked vocals battling for space with a stinging retro guitar solo over glimmering Philly Strings-tinged synthetic textures and fluid jazzy piano runs.
‘Has To Be’ tosses in some spooky distant theremin howls amidst flurries of sampled orchestration and wandering live drums that call to mind an Ennio Morricone score, whilst also featuring the most surreal, yet emotively sung lyric on offer here ("sometimes my leg hurts me"), before ‘To The Moon And Back’ brings the glitchy electronics back to the forefront, Madita’s vocals gliding alongside airy accordians as Dzihan gets complex with the broken-beat programming, sending tumbling synthetic bleeps and stuttering hi-hats echoing through the mix. The spectral, brooding ‘Pushing’ layers vast sweeping movie score orchestration beneath crashing live drums and epic cello swells as Madita’s delicate yearning vocal beautifully counterpoints the lush instrumental atmospheres, angular double-bass runs peaking through as track builds into a flaming crescendo of crashing cymbals, while ‘June’ pares things down to just a minimal fluttering electronic pulse, elegant pianos and muted horns slowly swirling in a manner that calls to mind Bjork’s ‘Vespertine’ album as Madita’s delayed-out vocals ring out over the discrete rhythms. Finally, ‘Intime’ closes proceedings on a downtempo jazz-samba tinged note, flowing live piano runs sliding back and forth as a disco-funk bassline makes its way beneath twinkling xylophones and Brazilian percussion, Madita’s latin-meets-Euro vocal inflections calling to mind Bebel Gilberto.
Easily one of the most capable and consistently interesting releases in the female vocal soul / nujazz vein that I’ve encountered so far this year, this self-titled debut from Madita maintains the high standards already set by Couch’s backcatalogue and also captures the fusion of Dzihan’s production prowess and Madita’s considerable vocal abilities in a fashion that meshes beautifully, with not a duff moment on offer here. Fans of Dzihan & Kamien will definitely want to pick this up – and those into the likes of Alice Russell, Hanne Hukkelberg and Bebel Gilberto should definitely investigate Madita.
Madita - [2008] - Too
Part swing, part jazz and always a bit electronic, Madita's latest offering is rich in sound and beauty. The songs may be too playful for some and too frenetic for others, but for those with a sweet spot for something both eccentric and electric, Madita's latest release should not be missed. The album is available on iTunes, or at a slightly higher price for the physical release from her official Web site.
source:
http://www.couchrecords.com/
http://www.madita.com/
http://kortlink.dk/thejusticeonline/4taw
http://www.alwaysontherun.net/madita.htm
Shiver
Madita Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No time to sleep
Hugging the sweet
The little that breathes
How could I know
That you wouldn’t go
Away from this beat
Struggling to feed
Your will to believe
That I couldn’t know
How could I know
I couldn’t know
That you wouldn’t go
Again I shiver
My heart gets bigger
This must be a trigger
That I cannot cope with
How could I know
How could I know
I break up with skills
No time to sleep
Trying just kills
My senses, my will
How could I know
That you wouldn’t go
Away from this beat
Of my heart so deep
Struggling to feed
Your will to believe
That I couldn’t know
How could I know
I couldn’t know
That you wouldn’t go
Again I shiver
My heart gets bigger
This must be a trigger
That I cannot cope with
How could I know
That everything
Again I shiver
Bigger
Trigger
That I cannot cope with
How could I know
Everything goes
Out of control
But my baby’s now at home
But my baby’s now at home
My baby’s now at home
The lyrics of Madita's song "Shiver" depict a sense of loss and uncertainty. The singer is in a state of wakefulness, unable to sleep, and trying to hold on to even the little things that they still have. The second stanza suggests that they were in a romantic relationship with someone who left them unexpectedly, leaving them struggling to understand what happened. They feel powerless and unable to control the situation. The chorus repeats the phrase "Again I shiver" suggesting that the singer is experiencing a recurring emotional response to the situation. However, towards the end of the song, the tone changes as the singer mentions that their baby is at home, which may suggest that despite their struggles, they find some comfort in their child.
The lyrics in this song are simple, yet they convey the depth of the singer's emotions. The vulnerability of the singer is palpable in each line. It's possible that the song is inspired by Madita's own personal experiences or experiences of someone close to her.
Line by Line Meaning
Awake in your dreams
Not sleeping, but living in a dreamlike state.
No time to sleep
Too busy to rest.
Hugging the sweet
Holding onto the good things in life.
The little that breathes
The small things that keep us alive.
How could I know
Expressing a lack of knowledge or understanding of what has happened.
That you wouldn’t go
That the subject would leave or abandon them.
Away from this beat
Leaving the rhythm or flow of life.
Of my heart so deep
From the very depths of their emotions.
Struggling to feed
Trying hard to support or maintain something.
Your will to believe
The desire to hold onto a certain belief, even if it may not be true.
Again I shiver
Expressing a feeling of fear or vulnerability.
My heart gets bigger
Their emotions become more intense and overwhelming.
This must be a trigger
Something that sets off an emotional response.
That I cannot cope with
Feeling unable to handle the situation or emotions.
I break up with skills
Their ability to handle things or cope with stress is deteriorating.
Trying just kills
Putting in effort becomes too much to handle and seems pointless.
My senses, my will
Their ability to perceive and respond to the world around them is diminished.
Everything goes
Things are out of control and unpredictable.
Out of control
Unable to manage or regulate a situation or emotions.
But my baby’s now at home
Finding comfort or solace in the presence of someone they care for deeply.
Contributed by Lucy S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.