SOHMI makes 'Sparks' fly on seductive new single

Korean-American producer, DJ and songstress SOHMI has been causing something of a dance-flavoured stir of late, thanks to recent releases on the likes of Astralwerks, Get Twisted, Percomaniacs and Gruuv. The relative newcomer's sound has been described as “a dark and enchanting blend of minimal house and techno, punctuated by breaks, left field, soul, funk and unexpected moments of vocal and melodic bliss.”

This month her track 'Sparks' hit the stores and has already been generating heat with DJs and taste-makers alike. The track was released as part of UK-based label Nothing Else Matters' NEM Home series. The project was initiated by label boss and BBC Radio One DJ Danny Howard to provide a soundtrack for would-be ravers who find themselves stuck indoors while the clubs remain shut. Ordinarily, the label offers a platform for club-focused music from standard bearers and newcomers alike, and with previous releases from artists including Detlef, Illyus & Barrientos, Lee Foss, and Rui Da Silva among others, so SOHMI finds herself in exceptional company here.

We were intrigued to discover the inspiration behind the alluring vocal track, so we reached out to SOHMI at her California base to hear about the backstory. “Sparks came about when my good friend and producer Chris Simon sent me some demos to write top-line to,” she told Mixmag Asia. “He probably sent me about ten at once, and the 'Sparks' track was somewhere towards the bottom – but the moment I heard it, I knew this was the one I wanted to write to.”

With its lazy tempo and subtly tripped-out chord progressions, the low-slung house groove resides somewhere in the territory that lays between the poolside and progressive ends of the dance spectrum. It's SOHMI's seductive vocal that proves to be the hook here – instantly catchy and with pop sensibilities but held down enough so as not to offend the delicate ears of underground aficionados. “The melody, lyrics and concept came pretty quickly to me... simply I wanted to capture that feeling when you first start to fall for someone and there’s just a strong electricity and energy between you any time you are near each other,” said SOHMI. “I wanted to write something that made you feel sexy while listening to it. Perhaps it’s a bit of what I was going through and feeling at the time myself.”

It certainly works for us!

Hopefully, there's much more to come from SOHMI, and we look forward to charting her musical progress.

'Sparks' by SOHMI and Chris Simon is out now. You can buy it here