Sophia Djebel Rose: L' Homme au Costume Doré

French singer Sophia Djebel Rose relates the story of meeting a man who is wearing a gilded costume. Whether this actually happened or not, is not the point. L' Homme au Costume Doré uses drones and elements from ambient, topped off with choral vocals to create a dream like state the listener does not want to wake up from. It is a track from her forthcoming album Sécheresse.

Sophia Djebel Rose: new album "S​é​cheresse" in February

French avant-folk singer and multi-instrumentalist Sophia Djebel Rose will release her new album Sécheresse on February 17. She played all the instruments (guitars, harmonium, modular synths). It is about powerful women and making life decisions on your own terms.

Sophia Djebel Rose: Blanche Biche

French singer and guitarist Sophia Djebel Rose has released a cover of Blanche Biche, a reworking of Veronique Chalot's folk song. She slowed it down quite a bit and turned it into a dreamy song, with ample room for Gothic post-rock diversions that bring the heyday of the 4AD label to mind.

Sophia Djebel Rose: "Liberté" video

French folk singer and guitarist Sophia Djebel Rose has posted a video for Liberté, a track from her first full-length, Métempsycose: "It is a fragile yet sturdy collection of songs. She feels more comfortable singing in her native tongue - she sings in English as part of the abstract folk duo An Eagle in your Mind. As a solo artist, she has stripped down the sound even more, which allows her voice to become the main ingredient of a carefully prepared dish of heartfelt musings. Her quiet intensity is beautiful and compelling".

» Sophia Djebel Rose on Facebook

HCTF review of Métempsycose.

HCTF's best of 2022 (15-11)

• 20-16
• |
• 15-11
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• 10-6
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• 5-1

» Best of playlist

» Listen here

HCTF's annual list of the 20 albums that will be in regular rotation for many years to come. As per usual many genres are represented. Here Comes The Flood covers a lot of ground and it shows in this eclectic, final tally.

Today: countdown from number 15 to 11.

Please shop at your local record store. The folks who work there know their stuff. And most of the stores have a pretty good website where you can order your stuff. It might even be cheaper than the big ones on the 'net.

Buy directly from the artist, attend live shows and stop by the merch table. And be sure to tell your friends about that great new act you discovered. Word-of-mouth can't be beat as the prime source to discover new music.

Sophia Djebel Rose: "Le Lilas" & "Vénus" live videos

French folk singer and guitarist Sophia Djebel Rose has posted videos of her performing Le Lilas and Vénus, two tracks from her first full-length, Métempsycose: "It is a fragile yet sturdy collection of songs. She feels more comfortable singing in her native tongue - she sings in English as part of the abstract folk duo An Eagle in your Mind. As a solo artist, she has stripped down the sound even more, which allows her voice to become the main ingredient of a carefully prepared dish of heartfelt musings. Her quiet intensity is beautiful and compelling".

Sophia Djebel Rose: Métempsycose

French folk singer and guitarist Sophia Djebel Rose is in a contemplative mood on her first full-length, Métempsycose, a concept album of sorts about overlooked small insects and nature in general. Inspired by her walks on the high plateaus of the Auvergne, she felt a connection and an urge to tell the world to cherish all the component parts that make life possible on Earth. She isn't a preacher, but more of a dreamer, who believes in some form of reincarnation. Whether that sort thing is your cup of tea or not, isn't relevant to be able to enjoy the depth of her poetic imagery.

She names fellow outsider artist albums like Buffy Sainte Marie's Illuminations and Nico's Desertshore as sources for inspiration. It is a fragile yet sturdy collection of songs. She feels more comfortable singing in her native tongue - she sings in English as part of the abstract folk duo An Eagle in your Mind. As a solo artist, she has stripped down the sound even more, which allows her voice to become the main ingredient of a carefully prepared dish of heartfelt musings. Her quiet intensity is beautiful and compelling.