Photo by Carmen Scholle

Experimental art and music pair Helena Ratka and Sophia Kennedy, better known as Shari Vari will release their debut album Now on September 13th via the Malka Tuti label. With their sound embodying a range of styles including punk, techno, jazz and pop, the LP follows their 2017 EP Life Should Be A Holiday.

Having shared the leading single ‘Out Of Order’ in July of this year, Shari Vari now unveil their latest song ‘New York City’. An experimental offering of hazy electronica constructed of thunderous drum stomps and elastic, spacey synths, the track is lead by smokey and sultry, Billie Holiday-esque vocals. Stream ‘New York City’ below.

Touching on the upcoming LP, Shari Vari said:

“Time is ticking and the questions we have regarding time and action is the connecting element of the songs and tracks on the album. The material was recorded between 2016 and 2019, at various locations including Hamburg, small farmhouses on the outskirts of town, Madrid and Las Palmas. While working on NOW, older tracks were re-worked and brought back to life. The influences differ from techno to pop to electronic punk – referring to Suicide, Blondie and Lou Reed. There is mostly a dark connotation in music and lyrics, but not without a joyful outlook, fun twists and a breeze of irony. The lyrics oscillate between film-like atmospheres, comic and dark story-telling, involving fictional characters. NOW connects the individual with the social persona, while the tracks take you on a trip from the boiler room next to our studio to a chilly Sunday in the park. It’s more a stream of consciousness than a conceptual decision we made.”