Maggie Tra releases latest multi-genre album, ‘Dancing Untethered’

Maggie Tra releases her charming ‘Dancing Untethered’, which chronicles her journey to find her place in Australia by building a community that reflects her unique musical vision.

The Australian-born Khmer/Vietnamese artist’s 13-track album captures her artistic evolution, various life stages, and a distinct musical path that is both personal and captivating.

Tra’s versatility shines throughout the project, blending ambient, techno, house, and a spectrum of other genres seamlessly. One moment, listeners are soothed by Cambodian/Vietnamese-inspired melodies with traditional instrumentation and the next, they’re thrust into the pulsating energy of darkroom techno at 3am.

This sounds like the juxtaposition-induced whiplash would be too much, but it mostly remains cohesive and on the rails throughout making for a very worthwhile listen from start to finish.

The album is framed by two masterful ambient, downtempo tracks that set the tone and close the journey perfectly. While a few tracks may not hit the mark and fall a little flat, the standout moments are strong enough to overshadow any minor dips.

‘She’s a Street Fighter’, ‘98 Per Cent’, and ‘The Future’ are our three standouts that encapsulate the various sounds showcased, and for those wanting to dip their toe into the world Maggie Tra has created, these would be our suggestions.

Read this next: Premiere: Maggie Tra reflects past struggles & acceptances in the mesmerising 'Strong Srey'

Speaking to Mixmag Asia, Maggie mentions, “I know a lot of Asian diasporas feel similar to me, a sense of not really belonging where your parents are from, to where you are born. Music has allowed me to explore these spaces, and also connect me to people who feel exactly the same way.”

Read this next: Mixmag Asia Radio: Maggie Tra holds high appraise for Asia's female producers

She continues, “‘Dancing Untethered’ is about my younger and adult conscious aligning, and creating this masterpiece that is just me, imperfect, crossing borders, connecting generations and just finding my place in this world where I am not 100% whatever nationality or what people want me to be.”

Have a listen to Maggie Tra’s ‘Dancing Untethered’ here.

Henry Cooper is a Writer at Mixmag Asia. Follow him on Instagram.

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