In the island of Majorca, they have this obscure tradition that dates back to medieval times: on Christmas eve, a child or a woman dresses up as the sibyl (‘sa sibil.la’), a prophetess that warns humanity about the end of times, and sings a song about the apocalypse. This song, now part of the World Heritage, was banned in the XV century and only kept alive in Majorca and very few other Mediterranean regions.
London-based singer/songwriter/producer Sibila grew up listening to the Song of the Sibyl every year. She was fascinated by the figure of the Sibyl, and more so by the beautiful Gregorian melody she sings. So she decided to embody her. And in this day and age, when it feels like the world could be ending anytime, she feels more connected to this tradition than ever.
Sibila’s music, a hybrid between dream pop and doom metal, talks about the dangers of feeling too deeply, and the beauty of ending things. Dreamy vocal harmonies are often accompanied by repetitive instrumental melodies and slowed down drums, giving you a feeling of suffocation but also a desire for a great escape. She sings in her native language, Catalan, which is also the language of the Song of the Sibyl.
Her next single, Desfer-me (‘Disintegrate’), is a song about nostalgia: a time when the world felt expansive, mysterious and raw, just before she was taken over by an unbearable feeling of dread – in the bridge, a nightmarish amalgam of vocal harmonies over a harp, Sibila speaks about being locked in her room, staring at a computer screen, late at night in the summer. The chorus repeats over and over, like a prayer: ‘Underneath the earth where we descended, I want to go there forever and disintegrate’.
Desfer-me, will be out on the 8th February.
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