The debut EP, In the Belly of the Mountain, from performer and sound artist Olga Kozmanidze (AKA Folga), marks a return to songwriting after years of experimental composition, sound art, and performance. In this deconstructed pop offering, dreamy nostalgic ballads meet electronic arrangements rich in nuance, while wistful Nordic atmospheres intertwine with soft vocal sunrays in a Mediterranean garden.

At once evocative and delicate, the EP blends organic and ethereal, always foregrounding the voice dressed in clouds of soft vocal harmonies. Unadorned, yet meticulously sculpted through polyphonic layering, it remains the center of gravity in each track, blending restraint and gentle depth. Here, the digital is profoundly organic, as Folga’s sonic world merges minimalist electronics with the emotionally charged voice.

From the subterranean currents of Acqua, where a river carves its path through hidden caves, to the sun-drenched pulse of Summer, thick with the hum and buzz of birds and insects, each track unfolds as a multi-sensory experience – intimate and expansive. The lush and imaginative soundscapes lend a cinematic edge to the storytelling, painting vivid atmospheres that invite the listener to dream, to remember, to sing old songs in a new way. And perhaps even sing new songs in an old way.
 
The EP was recorded and produced by Folga between Berlin and Abruzzo, then mixed and mastered in Berlin by James Ginzburg (Emptyset, Subtext Recordings). She also collaborated with Saint Petersburg’s Constantine Chistiakov, who produced and mixed Moon and Summer.

Born in Russia and classically trained as a pianist, Olga Kozmanidze (AKA Folga) is an award-winning performance and sound artist whose artistic trajectory spans from Berlin’s bustling avant-garde scene to the gentle landscapes of Abruzzo, Italy. In the Belly of the Mountain distills her background in experimental composition into an intimate and deeply personal song cycle, revealing a careful balance between pop and the avant-garde.

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