South London hailing Gabriella Bongo, has released her debut EP, “Unsettled Rhythms”. At just 20 years old, Gabriella has already made a significant impact in the music industry, performing at the Royal Albert Hall with a 96-piece orchestra and collaborating with icons like Nile Rodgers, Skrillex, and FredAgain.
“Unsettled Rhythms” highlights Gabriella’s mastery of liquid drum and bass, blending intricate beats with soulful melodies. The EP’s innovative soundscapes draw from house, 90s R&B, and cinematic music, offering listeners a rich, emotional journey. Gabriella oversaw every aspect of the EP, from writing and recording to engineering and marketing.
Reflecting on her work, Gabriella said,
“Liam Bailey actually suggested I make a drum and bass EP, and later on, my manager suggested the same thing. I also thought it would be a good idea to have a solid body of work showcasing my current sound. A body of work that I executed properly, from the writing to recording and engineering to the photography and marketing. It’s been a great learning experience.
Particularly, spending just under a year with the mix engineer Rob Smith, ‘Dogger’, was probably where I learned the most. It was a really intimate experience where I learned about drum and bass, mixing, sound selection, and more about my sound. I felt that the one thing that all the songs had in common was that they were all about emotions I had deeply felt but had never really talked about. The emotions are the ‘rhythms’ and the fact that I don’t really talk about them is what makes them ‘unsettled’. That’s how the name for the project came about.”
Gabriella’s musical journey began young, influenced by artists like Plan B and Rihanna. She honed her skills in Apple’s Creative Studio London programme and is currently studying music production at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in Kilburn.
