Miss FD - As Above, So Below

Coming off of her latest cyberpunk releases, both the EP “Adore” and the single ‘Your Core’, Miss FD brings us a three-track EP that’s far off from anything we’ve heard from her in the past. “As Above, So Below” takes its influence from Göbekli Tepe, a Neolithic archaeological site near the city of Şanlıurfa in Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. This middle east influenced product is nothing short of another standout release from Miss FD. 

‘Summoning’ starts off the EP. The midtempo bassline that rolls forth introduces us to this charming and mystical tracks, as middle eastern strings sweep us to the desert shrouded country. Miss FD’s vocals follow suit, bringing to mind witchy inspirations. On more than one section of ‘Summoning’ does Miss FD replace her lyrics with choral vocal sections; not necessarily singing but allowing her voice to become another instrument in the mix. There’s a good mix of vocally charged segments as well as instrumental bits that let both Miss FD’s instrumentation and vocals shine. 

The following song, ‘The Veil’, is an industrial tinged synthpop track – noise pop, if you will. While the percussion is crisp and clear, some of the synth lines sounds as if they are fading out of existence with their last breath. The result is a handsome concoction of danceable beats and decaying life. It’s an odd combination that is normally jarring, but Miss FD always finds a way to make it work. The final song on the album, the title track, takes a tip from tribal drums and spits them throughout the track. While not overpowering or booming, they find a wonderful place in the mix as Miss FD continues her siren’s call, and her synthetic beats continue to impress. 

Though Miss FD can always be counted under the general electro or dark pop category, the way she manipulates themes, ideas, or other genres into her mix is always satisfying. This is what keeps her relevant to the scene as well as intoxicating to her fans; whenever a song rolls out from her, it undoubtedly has her signature vocals attached. That has enough power on its own. “As Above, So Below” is a testament to that philosophy and once again marks a grand addition to Miss FD’s discography. Eight out of ten.