Miso Extra – Earcandy
The pioneering British-Japanese artist Miso Extra has today announced the release of her debut full length project with Earcandy – written and recorded over the summer of 2024 with Ricky Damian (the Grammy-winning engineer known for his work with Ezra Collective, Jorja Smith and Sampha) at Damon Albarn’s Studio 13. Set for release on May 16 via Transgressive, Earcandy cements Miso Extra’s status as an irrepressible and confident new talent, capable of transforming the exciting, spontaneous moment of creation into delight for the ears.
To accompany the announcement, Miso Extra has unveiled a preview of her anticipated debut album with the release of new single, ‘Certified’.
This synth-house-inspired pop track offers a glimpse into the spellbinding world she has created and heralded the “Misoverse”, and sets the tone for Earcandy. She says “Certified centers around the attempt to be seductive and the stubborn determination that comes with it”.
The album, co-produced by Miso, showcases a rich tapestry of collaborations, including contributions from A.K. Paul, MICHELLE, and Tyson. Adding to the creative vision, Miso worked closely with Chinese-Indonesian filmmaker and photographer Claryn Chong to craft the album’s visual identity.
Throughout Earcandy, Miso Extra takes us on a journey of lovelorn vulnerability, growth and self-empowerment, melding genres such as K-Pop, UK Garage, 80s sonics and R&B, to create a sophisticated and self-aware pop record. She says, “It’s about growing through your mistakes and not being afraid to get things wrong. There are some deep messages in there but it’s surrounded by sweet earcandy – that spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down.”
Speaking about working with Ricky Damian, she expands “he was my Mr Miyagi, I learned so much from him during the whole process. Plus working in Studio 13 was so inspiring since I’m such a Gorillaz fan and you can channel their energy there, as well as feel the influence of other people who have used the space from Erykah Badu to Paul McCartney.”
Miso Extra is the visionary solo project and moniker behind the fast-rising, trailblazing artist. Born in Hong Kong to a British father and Japanese mother, she moved to Japan when she was a child and later relocated to the UK. Growing up, she learnt how to play the violin and loved to sing. Her musical influences include J Dilla, MF DOOM, Daft Punk and Kelis. Aside from music, anime has been a huge inspiration, with all these references woven into her work today.
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