Milan, Italy-based DIY artist and producer Zelda Mab, real name Gloria Abbondi, is tired of the same old music, and is attempting to make her mark with her new EP Elettricità.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Federico Nardelli and Gloria Abbondi

Gloria started her career in classical music before venturing into a cavalcade of genres including garage rock, punk and electronica. Her eclectic background, equally influenced by Vivaldi and Nirvana, is on full display in Elettricità. Its six tracks run a surprising gamut of styles, sometimes within the same track.

The EP opens with the slow-building electronica of Indimenticable. Vibrant pop mingles seamlessly with some harder electro moments in an arrangement that refuses to be defined by genre. Soulful vocals soar over it all, singing in Italian but delivering universal emotion. It’s a breath-taking start.

Eletricità follows with a bittersweet indie pop number that trades its ponderous opening for a relentless rock first verse. A catchy chorus will have you bouncing along. Facile Preda slows things a little with its simmering and jangly style before Il Mondo Fuori -Germi– livens proceedings up again with its hard rock instrumental that brings together blues and electronica. Soldier Angel gives us some groovy soul-pop before the EP is rounded off by an extended version of title track Elettricità.

Zelda Mab isn’t messing around with her debut EP. She gets straight to the point with her experimental pop rock sensibilities, catchy melodies and insightful storytelling. There’s a global appeal for her sound, and I’m so glad to have discovered it for myself. She’s given herself a big task to forge a new path in a forever homogenised world but I think she’s nailed it, and her approach proves to be a breath of fresh air.

Fully a DIY project, Gloria recorded the EP at home, creating the music, lyrics, production, videos and graphic all herself. Elettricità is out now and you can check it out below.