t dot est & maga – MAGICICADA

t dot est & maga – MAGICICADA – EP Review

From what I understand, which is generally very little in life overall if I’m being truthful with ya, this EP is a collaboration between t dot est (who handles the music stuff) and maga (who handles the vocals and lyrics).  Beyond that, you probably know just about as much as I do.  You can see online that t dot est has been releasing music since about 2015 according to the dates you’ll find on Bandcamp, and in a much more steady stream since around 2018.  As for maga, aka Malgorzata Buracka, from what I can see in the world according to Spotify, she started to establish herself as a professional singer/songwriter somewhere around 2022, and she has more recently become a part of the band Stella Star as well.  In fact, as far as I know, I believe she actually put together the animated video for their new single “Syzby” too.  Clearly, both t dot est and maga are already artists of significant talents individually with lots on the go – but I’m tellin’ ya folks…I was like, merely seconds into their collaboration on the MAGICICADA EP before I knew I was in-store for something truly special.  While I like to think that every regular reader we have at these pages of ours has every reason to trust what I say based on the thousands of critiques I’ve written throughout the years, I’d never just want people to take me at my word without listening themselves.  So trust me when I tell ya…you’ll push play on this EP and instantly know this is music that you don’t wanna miss out on.  There were so many standout elements to “Calling For The New Beginning” as it started up…the warmth of the piano chords and the synth sounds…the stunning clarity in the production of the music…the world-class vocals of maga…the insightful relevance of the lyricism, and the professionally experimental Alt-Jazz vibes you’d typically find in something created by Thom Yorke, brilliantly infused with a potent dose of bold Dream Pop to go with it.  It’s the kind of music that, were you to see it happening live, you know you’d be able to hear a pin drop in the theatre, because it is THAT captivating that everyone in the room would be paying full attention to “Calling For The New Beginning” – but what makes it amazing is that you’ll likely discover the effect is still the same in whatever room you happen to be listening to this first track within.  If you’re anything like me, then you sat and listened to this song like there was absolutely nothing else happening in the world right now & the music was the only thing that mattered.  I was transfixed and completely mesmerized by this skillful duo…the music/professionalism in the production caught my attention quickly – and honestly, I would have probably been happy to listen if that’s all there was.  Having maga revealed just a little later, and hearing how undeniably exceptional her voice is by every measure…and listening closely to the unity they share between them…I swear…you can tell from “Calling For The New Beginning” that this isn’t some ordinary collaboration.  This is the sound of two people that were meant to make music together.

The patience displayed by these two is nothing short of magnificent.  As “Boat On The Course To Nowhere” continued the EP, you really get the sense that this duo set out to make a record with real vision, and they accomplished what they sought out to create.  Each move, whether it’s something you hear from the music or from the microphone, seems so tremendously confident – and they should be truly proud of that.  You listen to a song like “Boat On The Course To Nowhere,” which from what I can tell is somewhat about drifting along trying to figure out where your place is, and you can’t help but marvel at how both t dot est & maga seem to be in full control of steering their ship towards their destiny.  I’m genuinely blown away.  I love the distance you hear in a song like “Boat On The Course To Nowhere” and how it feels like it’s somehow a million miles away from us, but also every bit as present and vividly detailed as a dream you just awoke from having.  I don’t know how you go about creating music with such a spellbinding demeanor, but it’s crystal clear that these two know exactly how to do it.  I love songs like “Boat On The Course To Nowhere” that do absolutely nothing to fight for your attention – it’s not flashy, it’s not over the top, it’s not the audible equivalent to click bait – no…it’s none of that.  So instead of doing something that would obviously be pandering to get your attention, they’ve found incredible ways to EARN your attention through their authenticity and artistry combined.  It’s like when you hear “Boat On The Course To Nowhere,” you know they weren’t simply trying to copy something else that was already popular.  They’ve charted themselves on a completely new and different course – one that is dedicated to art, to beauty, to emotional depths, and to fascinating YOU through their music.  I might have listened to this song ten times in a row, or for two weeks straight…I’m not entirely sure anymore…I’ve been more than happy to lose myself in this song, and I’ve lost all track of time and space.

So look…the most you’re going to find me conceding to you is that not everyone out there is always looking for art in the music they listen to…it’s fair to say that a ton of people only ever tune into the songs they know they can sing along with.  As in, t dot est & maga are going to potentially appeal to a narrower slice of the audience of listeners out there, but for those that are really looking for something unique or different…the people that DO love to find music with artistic vision…well…you’re going to love what you find on MAGICICADA.  Even if it’s not the kind of stuff you might normally listen to every day, I still feel entirely confident that just about everyone will find a reason to return to this record for another spin.  Maybe that’s in the seconds right after it finishes, maybe it’s a week later, maybe it’s a year down the road – but you’ll remember how this EP made you feel, and whenever you want to revisit that, you’ll be able to push play and go right back to where you were, enveloped in the melodic art they’ve created.  I suppose what I’m saying is that I can easily recognize that a song like “Green Spiral Waltz Discontinued” is obviously going to be a tougher sell to say, someone that only listens to Metal music for example – of course it’ll be hard to convince them to take a timeout for something like MAGICICADA.  That being said, what I’m really getting at is, t dot est and maga have given their music a genuine chance to make an impact on EVERYONE that listens through the quality of their work.  THAT…dear readers, dear friends, is how you go about pulling in an audience you’d never have expected to find…you do it through consistency, quality, dedication, commitment, and confidence – all qualities that this duo has in copious amounts.  I get that a song like “Green Spiral Waltz Discontinued” isn’t a ‘banger’ – I get that it doesn’t have the typical ‘hooks’ we associate with music – but you can’t convince me this isn’t fascinatingly artistic in a way that can’t compete.  While I’d probably say that I might be more partial to the first two tracks on a personal level, I still can’t help but truly admire how much work has gone into the audible art we’re witnessing on this record.  Love the piano, love the heartbeat style of digital percussion in this song, and at this point, I’m pretty convinced that maga could sneeze and I’d be first in line to listen.  Every note and tone from her vocals is simply more confirmation that she is a remarkable gem in this music scene we share, and I cannot wait to hear more from her.  All-in-all, I think they’ve both supplied us with a generous wealth of reasons as to why we’d hope this collaboration between them continues.

For real…if there’s a mistake in this lineup of songs, or something that they could have done any better than they’ve done it, then I’ve missed it – this whole record sounded entirely flawless to me.  As you listen to “Noir Cicada,” you can’t help but notice the complementary way that the vocals and music work so perfectly together.  t dot est has shown us a whole level of professional restraint and understanding of melody that is immaculately rare.  Dude has made sure that each and every song has everything it needs and not an ounce more, and it’s resulted in an entire lineup of tight tunes that are extremely satisfying to listen to.  You feel like you’re hearing a true marriage of substance and style when you listen to this EP, and there’s simply not a trace of plastic to be found here.  For as synthesized or as digital as it may be – you rarely stumble across music that is so compelling and organic at the same time…I’ve been nothing but impressed with all four songs on this record and I’m just as confident that anyone else listening would have to agree.  From the cleverness in the layers of vocals and how maga can choose to enhance her melodies with backup vocals, to the awe-inspiring way she can tackle the lead parts with so precious little going on around her – together, they’ve really found the right way to approach minimalism and achieve maximum results.  “Noir Cicada” was the final cut of the set of four tunes on MAGICICADA, and it immediately had me wanting another spin through the EP.  How could I not?  This collaboration is as effective as you’ll ever hear, the songs are spectacularly beautiful and bittersweet, the music is undeniably special, the vocals are hauntingly gorgeous…the entire experience is surreal, and without a doubt, a massive win for the artistic side of sound.  I’m not only a giant fan of what they’ve accomplished with this EP, but I think I’m an even bigger advocate for the potential they have for the future – this is a collaboration that absolutely MUST continue on.  MAGICICADA will speak to your soul on a profound level that you truly won’t be expecting.

Find out more about t dot est at the official website:  https://tdotest.com

Find out more about maga from this multi-link here:  https://linktr.ee/maga_music

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