(photo: Photography by Matt Mimiaga)
Louiza, aka Oakland musician Rebecca Mimiaga, releases a music video for “Anomie” on Friday, July 9 at 7th West in Oakland. The release party also celebrates the release of the new EP On/Off, out now on all major platforms.

Louiza’s albums have always been eclectic affairs. On her previous full-length Swim At Night, a song layered with Pet Sounds-esque vocal harmonies is just as likely to be found adjacent to a summery pop/rock song as it is a dense bass-driven groove with a sonic wall of brass.

But as its title On/Off suggests, this record is sonically rooted in the electronic world. Its lyrics also embrace our contemporary struggle with/against technology. “In some ways, devices like our mobile phones, computers and the internet provide us with the feeling that we hold an on, off switch,” Louiza says. “The longer humans depend on technologies for aiding in things like DNA testing for predicting the health of offspring, the harder it is to tell who — or what — holds the “on, off switch.”

Bay Area engineer/producer/mainstay James Riotto helped craft the album’s electronic backbone. But most often Louiza’s voice takes center stage — rightfully so, her impressive range and vocal delivery consistently propels the music forward. Sinuous vocal melodies wind unpredictably throughout these sparse songs, culminating in the biting spoken word delivery found within the final track “On Again, Off Again.”

Friday’s release party promises to be a cathartic return to outdoor live music and a celebration of art. 7th West presents Louiza — EP and music video release party. 8pm doors, 8:30pm show. Donations encouraged.

Louiza
7th West
July 9, 2021
8:30pm, FREE