In a constant and complex dialogue between personal experience and the artistic object, Roxanne’s career has been remarkable. With only two records to her name, she has entered the catalogues of major labels such as Leaving Records and Kranky – and has not even escaped Thom Yorke’s radar. Between distant memories of the impact of R&B, jazz school lessons and a transformative trip to India, the American artist has arrived at a language all her own. There hovers something sacred here, between the ancient madrigals and that cosmic flame of Alice Coltrane, not forgetting the nocturnal hypnosis of Grouper. The soothing nature of his creations appeals to a sensory side, as if of active listening.
Recorded in 2015 and released two years later, ~~~ was the enigmatic title that introduced us to his music. The visual undulation suggested is effective from the outset; that idea of natural movement, of one who is groping her way through the twilight to reach the light. Roxanne uses these vivid environments in which static, external noise (voluntary or not) and, obviously, the composition of these and other elements, are screen of larger issues. Because Of a Flower follows the auspicious debut, bringing with it human issues about the concepts, taboos and struggles surrounding a sexual identity beyond the conventional. The album opens with the words of the poet Lao-tzu, an ancestral luminary of Asian culture, recited by herself. Thus, between history and philosophy, the restlessness of those who seek freedom from the norm is amplified. Because Of A Flower is a work that does not exactly answer any question, but that brings to the surface that sometimes impenetrable depth. Confessional album, yes, but hardly solitary.
Ana Roxanne, one of the names that seemed on a national stage. The awaited debut is now, in a concert that is expected to reveal an artist on the rise. NA
