The electrifying EP that is Shock Therapy (2021) from the Munich-born, Brooklyn-based, artist-producer She's Excited! is a noteworthy international collaboration. Dropped on April 16th, it comes with two original songs by She’s Excited! as well as three collaborative remixes; each of the five tracks is accompanied by its own music video.
She’s Excited! — otherwise known as Anne Wichmann — has a powerful voice that, for reasons I can’t entirely explain, makes me think of Lucy Lawless. Her music, though, features a range of influences that range from David Bowie to Bjork to Nine Inch Nails to many others. The resulting works feel like an homage to industrial, dark electronic and trip-hop influences.
The first track, “Add Clarity,” — think Nine Inch Nails meets Alison Nicole Mosshart — features crescendoing vocals that come in within the first 10 seconds, culminating with: “If I refuse to sleep, who’s going to dream my dreams?” This is more than just a statement; it’s a motif that characterizes the entire EP.
“I lead two lives,” explains the artist, “one when I am awake and one when I am sleeping. They are equally important to me, both personally and professionally.” This effectively makes the work biographical. The music video, via Erin Wajufos, shows the animated artist laying on the couch, daydreaming about performing as different parts of her persona.
While “Add Clarity” feels like an introvert’s internal world projected to the public, “Whole” is a direct look outward and it begins with a scene: The artist is outside, mindfully enjoying the rain as she smiles at her reflection in the puddle at her feet. It’s a stylistic departure from the previous track, as is the computer-generated grayscale music video by Ix Shells.
The visuals for Cameron Gary’s “Whole” Remix by Jay Tobin are a little more engaging, featuring an animation of what appear to be colorful threads forming an unspecified shape. The remix itself makes me think of Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” due to the arrangement and the production of the tracks.
The Live Modular Remix of “Add Clarity” by Trovarsi is a techno club song; it comes with pulsing animation over footage of NYC by Chantal deFelice. Primitive Heart’s version is much heavier on synth wave vibes; it’s accompanied by visuals from Copy Planet–Wauman & Salafurka depicting an animated strobing gray heart.
Personally, I prefer the original version of “Whole” over all of the other tracks, but enjoyed the remix enough to make it my runner up. But, you should make up your own minds, so check out Shock Therapy on YouTube, Spotify, and Facebook.
Note* Album provided for objective review by our partners.