Shi Offline is a musical Hamburg-based duo, formed by Alisa Tsybina and her producer Gordian Gleiß. They formed three years ago, when they were known as ‘The Other Shi’ and were already riding the stages of Hamburg.
The influences of The Knife’s Karin Dreijer and Die Antwoord’s Yolandi shine on the vocalist Alisa who, with her style, is not afraid to compare herself with them and, at the same time, distance herself with a personal originality. The melodies of her voice are mixed together with a base synth that reminds the glacial electro sounds of The Knife.
Furthermore, Alisa’s voice is strong enough to sing into the microphone with uncommon authenticity about delicate topics, such as “Masculinity”. It is the latest single extracted from their latest album Golaya (Russian for “naked” in female form), which was released on CD and LP on October 18.
Moreover, the echoes of synthwalls and whips are the background to the multiple voices and moanings of Alisa, which overlap one another with the use different effects. The singer took inspiration for the lyric from herself, wondering what her sexuality means to her and how it is perceived by others, spreading a debate which is rare to find in songs. It is what makes it unique.
They released a music video with the song that accompanies the topic. The protagonist is Alisa, who experiments with cosmetic surgery that again calls into question the concepts of femininity and masculinity. The clip demonstrates to the singer showing on herself that may not be a clear definition of the two.
Their project is admirable at first heard for what it is able to do with its frizzy electro-pop sounds which mix up perfectly with the warm voice of the vocalist. The result is a perfect song to dance on a dark dance floor, while your thoughts travel away guided by the singer’s voice.
Watch the video for “Masculinity” below:
#Peace.Love.shioffline
