Sumika - GAMAN EP 
Release Date: Out Now
So, the Japanese concept of 'Gaman' means to endure the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity and that, my friends, is the kind of concept the world needs more of right now. Step up Plymouth based singer-songwriter Sumika with her new EP named after this very concept and packed with five songs of exciting quality. Opening with 'Who Are You?', the Anglo-Japanese artist flutters and pulses in to life with a bouncing synth melody, low bass notes and the kind of vocal performance that wouldn't be out of place on a Bond theme song. 'Walk Away' continues the vibe of brooding and edgy sounds with some 80s inspired effects and vocals that exist somewhere between the trippier elements of Portishead and the grungier moments of Garbage.
The opening beat of 'A Rest To Last A Lifetime' instantly grabs your attention but this is a mellower moment which allows Sumika to show off a different side to her vocal ability with a more impish sound a la the Sundays or the Cardigans. 'Signs' flirts and glides in to life with soft piano stabs and a sultry beat that almost demands a spotlight on an otherwise pitch black stage. Closing track 'Reap the Reward' is a mammoth six and a half minute long opus that meanders from Middle-Eastern influenced vocals and a vibrating organs sound to a cacophony of drums, mechanical factory sounds and a general sense of impending doom. I am genuinely blown away by this EP and the creative ambition contained on each track so I would urge you to seek Sumika out and maybe, if enough of us ask nicely, she might come out of hiding and put on a live show for us all.....please.
More information: https://www.instagram.com/sumishikawa/
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