Estère

Estère (New Zealand)

An artist compelled by the force of creative instinct, Estère’s deliberate and inventive penchant for striking musical concepts and live performance draws on what is both acutely human and strangely mythic.

Coining the term ‘electric blue witch-hop’ to describe the dimensions of electronic, folk and R&B found within her music, Estère’s bewitching voice soars to the songbird heights of Kate Bush before sweeping down with a sultry gravitas reminiscent of artists such as Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano and Erykah Badu.

Described by Bandcamp as a "a New Zealand producer and songwriter who has carved a unique space for herself, both sonically and stylistically...” Estère’s expansive D.I.Y repertoire has seen her nominated for multiple NZ Music Awards including Best Producer (2018) and Critics Choice Award (2015).

Beginning her journey as a young bedroom producer-cum-university student prone to staying up to 4am producing beats (on her MPC Lola), Estère’s first album (self titled ‘Estère’) came out in 2015 via Paris based record label Prospect, earning her accolades from prominent media outlets such as Disco Naïveté, Elle Magazine (FR) and Portals. On her debut album, Estère sampled and recorded a mixture of bass, synth, drums, guitar, vocal harmonies, kazoo, cutlery drawers and anything else that tickles her fancy then layers the production with pulsating rhythms and evocative melodies that adhere to her own genre dubbed - Electric Blue Witch-Hop.

In 2018 Estère released her second self produced album ‘My Design, On Others’ Lives’ championed as “an exceptional record" (Radio NZ) and “an immersive experience unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed” (Afropunk). Drawing inspiration from the evolution of reptiles, imaginary boyfriends and cultural identity amongst many other things, Estère delivers her songs with a voice that has been described as rich toned and elastic. Estère’s penchant for extraordinary lyric writing escapes the common realms of popular music, delving into imaginatively philosophical narratives about displaced refugees, kids obsessed with technology, controlling urges, rent, prostitutes becoming presidents and much more.

Estère’s spell-casting, high energy live show has seen her open for some of her idols including Grace Jones and Erykah Badu and has lead to her playing major international festivals including Glastonbury (UK), Afropunk Paris (FR), Bushfire Festival (Swaziland) WOMAD (NZ), Aarhus Festuge (Denmark) and Sori Arts Festival (South Korea) as well as sold out headline shows in UK, France and NZ.

2020 was not how anyone expected it to be, prolonging the release of Estère’s acclaimed third album Archetypes - created with Massive Attack producer Stew Jackson. However, Estère kept busy creating an eleven minute ASMR/music and poetry piece called ‘A Symphony of Reassurance’ commissioned by Pantograph Punch, releasing two singles ‘Calculated Risk’ and ‘Mad About Your Sea’ and featuring as a guest producer at the Aotearoa Music Producers Series held at Roundhead Studios as well as producing at the 2020 Hawkes Bay Songhubs.

Estère’s third album Archetypes was released in January 2021. The NZ Listener described it as 'extraordinary production from one of our most acute, enjoyable, ambitiously unconstrained artists’ while the NZ Herald called it ‘an ambitious and inspirational concept album.

Press:

“Control Freak” is a thunderous, rhythm-led track...Attitude not only matched by the punchy composition but also Estère’s own unflinching declarations that she “knows how to be cruel.” - Rolling Stone

"Estère is stunning; an artist with a seemingly boundless imagination and talent, and a refreshing approach to music making. Breaking free of the often-insipid subject matter of popular music, she delves much, much deeper lyrically; tackling themes such as the evolution of species, the impacts and effects of technology, and our dependence upon, and relationships with, our digital technologies. Estère’s music is music that makes you think. Yet paradoxically, her voice and beats are so mesmerizing that it is almost impossible to not lose yourself in her masterfully crafted soundscapes." - Ambient Light

"One of New Zealand’s most exciting musicians is back! Wellington-based Estère, who defines her distinctive musical genre as “Electric Blue Witch-Hop,” has just dropped My Design (P1), which fuses electronic music with heavy bass and drums, creating a unique juxtapositon that falls right in line with the artist’s noted passion for defying genre. My Design is an immersive experience unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed." - AfroPunk

"With a velvet smooth voice that has already drawn comparisons with Erykah Badu (with the charm of Lianne La Havas) she sang live, sampled her own voice and spun loops through Lola... With her colourful, soulful voice and ability to produce effortlessly, Estère Dalton is definitely not an artist to sleep on." Aclaim Magazine

"Young Kiwi Estere was also a wonder. The Wellington-based singer's unique sound, style and dance moves, reminiscent of Solange or Erykah Badu, make her one to watch." The Age

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/EstereLola
https://twitter.com/Esterelola
https://www.instagram.com/esterelola/
https://soundcloud.com/estere
https://estere.bandcamp.com/

CONTACTS