Miki Ratsula - “suffocate” (feat. Lauren Sanderson)

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 4

Pairs Well With…Nilufer Yanya, Julien Baker, Claud

Miki Ratsula is gearing up to release their debut full-length in 2022 and i owe it to myself it set to be a highly personal, bedroom pop record about getting through the darkness. Transition and self-love are themes that stand out in the early singles from the record (six have already been released), notable as Ratsula came out as non-binary amid her own transition during the pandemic. Musically, Ratsula is part indie folk and part light pop, an understated artist that puts their lyricism to the top surface. It’s a comforting and relatable vibe, one that softly grooves with some bedroom-R&B swing. Their brand of dream-pop really connects and the maturity in Ratsula’s songwriting since their first EP in 2016 is radiantly evident. (Kevin McStravick)

2019 Review: Miki Ratsula embeds classic soul and R&B into their sound, but twists perspective through slightly hazy, minimal production. Ratsula is a bedroom pop artist with studied jazz instincts - while their music is bare, it is musically complex in both melody and form. The Californian singer-songwriter employs an equally subtle vocal, a low register croon built of melancholic precision. Ratsula has released an increasingly impactful series of singles since their 2016 debut EP Every Shade of Blue, culminating most recently with breezy groover “Body Language” and “Captivate”, a fine blend of internal, indie pop and late-night jazz jams.