Best known as half of Providence haunting experimental synth electronic duo SNOWBEASTS, Providence based Elizabeth Virosa steps out with her first solo recordings on Chthonic Streams. On this album, she explores soundscapes created from her heavily effected vocals and skeletal modular synthesizers, resulting in a deep, atmospheric fascinating listen and another triumph for minimalistic experimental music. “INNER WORLD” sounds like a meditation on sadness or a soundtrack to a horrible story, but it’s somewhat soothing and relaxing. We sat down with Elizabeth to learn more about her work and some of the new compositions and unveil some of her true self in the process.
“For my first official solo release, Inner World, I wanted to continue building some of the skills I have attained while performing live in Snowbeasts.” – comments Elizabeth and elaborates on her gear setup and recording details behind “Inner World”. “When playing, I mostly use guitar pedals/loopers with my voice while Robert [Galbraith, Elizabeth’s partner] will mix and sample our tracks, or play his Eurorack. Sometimes between our set’s songs, I would find spaces to improvise, and I thought of this album as a way to further explore those improvised soundscapes.”
“I wanted to create a contrast of textures using only a few modular synths and my voice.” – she continues. “In the track “Beat to the Ground,” I layered harsh and raw filter sweeps and pulsating rhythms alongside my voice. The lyrics are mostly about fighting against a mentally abusive situation, but also a bit about finding that reservoir of inner strength you have left to crush feelings of helplessness. I find nature and the nearby ocean often inspirational, hence the theme in the video.”
“While putting together the sounds for “Tree of Life,” I wanted to create a mantra for resilience, and thought of the oak tree in my backyard that has grown through the concrete and asphalt, which is what inspired the lyrics. I used a pretty cool wooden noise box synth built by Ormus Electronics that actually has a Tree of Life symbol. I ended up playing a small underground show with Ormus pre-pandemic, since she happened to be on tour at the time.”
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“The composition and vocals for “Median” just kind of came together from a place outside myself. I was using a vocal synth called the Pipe that broke up my voice and gave it a quality that kind of reminded me of Pod Blotz.”
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Apart from her solo work, Elizabeth has also collaborated on the new Snowbeasts + Solypsis album Fever Dream [Ohm Resistance].
Asked about her take on her local music community and her longing for live performances, she concluded: “Of course, I miss playing live at some of the local venues in Rhode Island, like Machines with Magnets, AS220, Alchemy, and Dusk. If you’re in a decent financial position and are willing to donate to NIVA (#SaveOurStages), those are on their beneficiaries list.”
