Review: Semarã - Eclose EP

"Eclose refers specifically to the emergence or evolution into the final
stage of metamorphosis in entomology - an experience 
intrinsically linked to the female form."

Ahead of their debut EP – Eclose – on July 17th, I was given the wonderful opportunity to speak with SEMARÃ about their first release on Exude Records.

Created across a two month period, the project documents the shared evolution and transitional experience of three Trans+ artists living alongside and amongst one another – each developing and growing their identities, both as individuals and as a wider organism. The communal aspect of sisterhood played an instrumental role in this process, and the full 10-track EP abundantly conveys this experience of a single entity borne from the collective. Otherwise distinct narratives, instruments, and musical voices, are instead fused together into one convulsing, respirating, and living mass of sound:

“All three of us had an experience when coming out that was deeply rooted in trauma and a deep sense of unease in ourselves. The first stage of transition was very much focused around processing and finding the confidence to seek sisterhood. For some of us this was alone and for some it was immediately with family, but the journey into the later stages of Eclose charts the finding of that voice.”

Originally performed during Trans+ visibility day for Playbody London, and then later at the V&A East Storehouse, Eclose is staunchly cerebral, especially concerning the physicality of breath. This aspect gives the project a slow, deliberate inhale and exhale as each track flows into the next – with the close placement of microphones also providing an intimacy integral to the concept underneath.

“Breath is closely tied to the therapeutic and ritualistic side of the work. We focused a lot together on breathing as a way of overcoming the mental health challenges that hound us from the outside, and this was translated into the project.”

The recording process itself, was carried out entirely within the confines of the communal living space occupied by the artists; S3BA, MaXXXim and Hḗrā Santos. With no budget or professional studio access, the enclosed yet immensely familiar environment of their recording space became a unique thumbprint of the EP.

“Home became a place of refuge for our pain and healing process, shaping both the emotional and sonic identity of the work by sharing our experiences, thoughts, past, present and future lives. The result was emblematic of our emancipation from the expectations placed on the Transfemme experience, and became a landmark on the map of our individual and shared journeys.”

Semara Eclose 2

Eclose refers specifically to the emergence or evolution into a final stage of metamorphosis in entomology – an experience intrinsically linked to the female form. This pulsating crescendo of nature evoked by the title is reflected in the aforementioned living, breathing nature of the project – with each track slowly unfolding into the next stage of chrysalis, as if breaking down layer upon layer of hardened shell. These phases are often punctuated by spoken word performances by each of the artists involved, bathed in ghostly apparitions of incoherent murmurings.

“Hḗrā’s work very much focuses around the rhythms of nature and how they intersect with the political turmoil around us…it felt natural that this would link to S3BA’s previous career as an opera singer and her work with the flute. It was therefore easy for Maxim to weave these threads into the organic tapestry of sound that inhales and exhales, not just in each individual track, but also as an ecosystem in totality.”

There are defining moments during the EP that certainly denote stronger surges of energy towards this final realisation, each portraying a different sentiment to the last – each capturing the flux and turbulence of the process. I See Myself stands out as one of these monuments, combining all the central elements to the EP; rumbling synths, whispers incised by moments of immediate clarity, and intricately woven instrumental solos – whilst still showcasing an individuality still felt in each climax.

“We all have a core/key track within the work that reflects our experience of transness and stages of transition.

For Hḗrā this is evident in the journey from ‘I Felt Nothing’ into the statement of power of ‘My Femininity’.

For Maxim the track ‘My Mind’ was the first time she had shared her feelings of transness outside of her closest circle – and the vulnerability is palpable.

For Seba it is ‘I See Myself’ in which we hear samples from audio journals from early 2024, expressing how they built an image of themself through others.”

The ephemeral nature of Eclose is punctuated with a grandiose full stop at the very end of the project. Superstar (BONUS) can, at first glance, seem like a flippant throwaway tacked onto the end of the EP, as bonus tracks often are. It is, instead, a powerful change in style, genre and mood, which offers a sense of release to the entire experience. A resolve defined by naked acceptance, ethereal brilliance, and – quite simply – joie de vivre.

“Eclose” is scheduled for release on 17th July via Exude Records. Order a copy from Bandcamp.

TRACKLIST