Ioanna Gika wrote and produced her first solo record, Thalassa, during a period of turbulent change. In the wake of the deaths of her father and stepfather, and the dissolution of a long-term relationship, the former member of Io Echo traveled to her family’s home country of Greece, where she witnessed its now-decade-long spiral into economic ruin and corruption firsthand. She emerged with an art-pop odyssey of gothic elegance and profound searching: for clarity, for solidity, for a way forward, like a balm amid crisis.
Greek-American singer songwriter Ioanna Gika crafts songs so towering, they nearly pierce through the atmosphere. Her self-produced debut album Thalassa (which translates to ‘sea’ in Greek) is out in its entirety today, and it’s a mighty one. The record includes single “Out of Focus,” for which Gika shared a neat video back in February. Stream Thalassa below, and peep Ioanna Gika’s upcoming tour dates with Garbage.
Ioanna Gika 2019 tour dates: MAY 03 Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle* MAY 07 Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz* MAY 08 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte* MAY 16 Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Auditorium*
Tour dates with Garbage // tickets HERE MAY 03 Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle MAY 07 Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz MAY 08 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte MAY 16 Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Auditorium
One of the most interesting trends in modern heavy music is the acceptance of a style that, on the surface, sometimes has very little in common with metal. At one end of this rather vast spectrum are the more obviously metallic stylings of Chelsea Wolfe, and at the other is Greek-American artist Ioanna Gika, whose compositions are intense but electronically driven. Perhaps the likes of Wolfe, Gika, Anna von Hausswolff, Emma Ruth Rundleand Louise Lemónappear at metal festivals, release on metal labels and receive support from metal publications because listeners have begun to realise that heaviness doesn’t have to stem solely from roaring riffs and vicious vocals – it can also be in the sheer scope or deep-seated poignancy of a piece of music. In truth, the elegiac music Gika is responsible for might be a step too far for many riff patrons, but those who turn their attention elsewhere as soon as the electronics kick in will be missing out, for the Sargent House artist sets herself apart on her debut solo album with a style that’s vast, captivating and powerful.
Gika’s vocal performance is key throughout. Presented stark, her voice has a natural elegance that resonates through the album, shining down from some celestial plane; a beam of light soaring over the dense and often menacing music that lies beneath. The album is so vast that it’s easy to find yourself lost within its supernatural charm, but with vocals that are a commanding combination of alluring power, mournful disquiet and expressive serenity, Thalassa’s humanity is also front and present. Inspired in part by familial loss and romantic setbacks as well as the forced change they bring, the album’s personal themes can be heard throughout. They are there in the funereal atmospherics and looming beat of ‘No Matter What’ and the downhearted tones of ‘Weathervane’, but most notably they are what we are left with on the forlorn loneliness of closer ‘Drifting’.
“The following piece is in the style of Joe Brainard’s “I Remember” or Ito Naga’s “Je sais,” but I have added a female voice to the conversation and format. Each sentence begins with “I know” and it centers mainly on what I have learned in the music industry, while also touching on other topics that are important to me.”
…
I know what the first song was that I played in my headphones when I was in the van embarking on my first tour.
I know that as I listened to the song, the sun was shining on my face through the van window. I could see windmill turbines in the distance like futuristic aunts.
I know that I got heckled by a man saying “go back to your country.”
I know that my family has lived in Greece, throughout Southeast Asia, throughout North America, and as a result of living in different places and of touring, my definition of home is not defined by houses.
I know that I don’t assign stupid genre terms to my own music and that most musicians don’t, but people will seek to do that anyway.
Ioanna Gika 
