Zylva - Poems from the Dark (2023) Hi-Res

For Zylva, creating is a form of healing. In 2020, the producer, illustrator, and poet found herself struggling with her mental wellbeing: a fresh arrival in locked-down Berlin, and newly heartbroken in a city known for its harsh winters and fleeting connections, Zylva imagined a place for hope, creating her debut album “Poems from the Dark”.

Drifting somewhere between avant pop, lo-fi and celestial R&B, “Poems from the Dark” sets out on an emotional journey that unfolds over the course of twelve deeply personal tracks.

The fluttering piano keys on opener I Will Carry You In My Heart serve as an undercurrent that runs throughout the album, while Eyelash, Save You and Butterflies show her zeal for crafting beats that underpin the shadowy characters in her lyrics.

Ultimately, Zylva faces her fears. On the electro-tinged anthem DreamSs, Zylva declares: “I will walk alone towards the sunset, towards the end of time”, and in Berlin - “the city of lonely people” - she learns to embrace the solitude, finding salvation and strength in herself.

Working bluer notes into a powerful resistance to despair, Zylva’s songwriting is as incisive as it is illuminating, never shying away from the dark and shadows of everyday life.