Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Ama, Dirty Hit Records, 2020.
This six-track EP is my introduction to 19-year-old British artist, Ama’s work and it’s not too bad.
Pixelheart is her second EP release following on from Screenluv, which was released in 2019 and was well received by the British music press.
The new EP was recorded with input from producers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
The lead single, The Hour We On was produced by Brooklyn based Jim E-Stack (Haim, Anna of The North, Dillon Francis) while the EP’s opening track, Bright, was produced by rising London producer Daniel Hylton Nuamah, who is one of Ama’s previous collaborators.
Another producer to work on the disc is West Coast USA based Santell, who has worked with high profile artists Major Lazer, Diplo, and Madonna among others. His work on the track Rush is impressive.
All the tracks on Pixelheart were written by Ama and they examine love from the Gen Z perspective.
As Ama explains it: “The Pixelheart EP really just captures a lot of the emotions I have felt throughout my teens, the ups and downs going on in my pixelheart.”
Ama’s songs, while heavily influenced by synthesized sounds and rhythms, don’t fall into the metronomic dance category.
She breaks up the tempos and density of the sound with an ear for the importance of space in music.
The song content is personal and the EP atmosphere is intimate.
I found the EP quite approachable and enjoyable.
To my ears, the opening track Bright is the standout cut on the disc.