When I first heard of Sophia Aya, she seemed like an enigma. Yet, I soon came to realise that she is, in fact, an alias for a familiar face and name.

By Graeme Smith

The London-based Kat Kikta is behind the project, using the vehicle to do something different with one of her most powerful tracks.

There are two remixes of Cherry Trees released under the Sophia Aya guise. Slow Trees, as you’d expect, slows the composition down. Tinkling percussion and ambient sounds of the night build early atmosphere. The track creeps along, in no rush, and we are invited to savour each note, finding poignancy in each moment.

It’s a bold move to make a piece that unfolds this gradually over thirteen minutes in today’s attention deficit world, but Kikta really makes it work. There’s just enough variation to stop the attention from wandering. I was thoroughly hooked.

Mournful strings signal the coming of its final movement during a particularly striking segment, and things become cosmic and spiritual at the finish.

The second remix sees the addition of ghostly vocals which are deepened. They add a haunting element to the soundscape, feeling almost mournful. It’s suitable given how the original Cherry Trees was written as a response to Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Yet, just as the original was a message of hope, the remix too ends brightly, almost ecclesiastically.  

“These remixes of Cherry Trees are an emotional affirmation of how we absolutely can find tranquillity and hope even in the face of despair,” says Kikta. “My aim was to create spaces of quiet contemplation, allowing the anti-war sentiment to resonate on a deeper, more atmospheric level. I want it to transcend languages and be a primal resonance for peace that is felt in a more undeniable way, for everyone.”

We haven’t featured her Sophia Aya alias before, but we’re well-acquainted with Kat Kikta on this blog. After hearing the original Cherry Trees, I asked her to guest on our podcast where we had an enlightening chat about the track’s message and its recording journey.

She’s a one-of-a-kind artist who isn’t afraid to tackle weighty topics. She does so with pathos and tact, creating wonderful music. It’s so impressive that she’s able to channel her creative energy into another project that feels so distinctly different.

You can keep up to date with Kat Kikta’s Sophia Aya project by following her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Slow Trees is out now, and you can listen to it below.