We live in a broken world, and that can be defeating. Despite our best efforts, it seems like the greater of humanity is okay with letting this world slip into decay for reasons of “make more money”, gain power, and a misguided notion — especially among our new class of oligarchs — that all of this will somehow make their “legacies” immortal. Ela Minus wants us to know that we can free ourselves from all of that bullshit.

Rebellion is not something which the Brooklyn-by-way-of-Colombia electronic producer has ever shied away from — her 2020 breakthrough debut was entitled acts of rebellion and went to battle against political systems that only serve a select few, after all — but in the five years since its release, we, the better parts of society, have come to realize that there will always be these oppressive forces bent on achieving the worst things for the lesser good beyond our control. It’s up to our own selves to not fall pray to letting them bury us beneath their rubble.

That being said, Minus’ sophomore effort, DÍA, can be heard as a rebellion of the self, especially when consuming these negative thinking patterns that allow everything that isn’t so great about existing in this world to dim our light. Her resolve is the opposite of rage, as Minus’ “bright music for dark times” techno coda is a shield of radiant energy, with her signature kinetic builds, celestial synth atmospheres, and call-to-action choruses amplifying themselves exponentially by the Lumens here.

The journey isn’t without rife either. What begins with “ABRIR MONTE” moving the mountains standing in her way must also dodge a haunt of phantoms in false “IDOLS” and steer through an Earth plummeting into oblivion on “QQQQ”. “ONWARDS” “AND” “UPWARDS”, Minus is able to save herself from the metaphorical flames by transforming her inner energy to become its own army of betterment, using a renewed faith in the self’s purpose to see herself through anything sinister in this life experience.

Highlights: “BROKEN”, “QQQQ”, “I WANT TO BE BETTER”

Ela Minus’ DÍA is available now on Domino Recording Co.

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