Georgian artist Sophia Saze will release her debut album, Self, on Francis Harris’ Kingdoms. The LP lands in two parts, with the first part dropping this coming June. 

Born in Tbilisi, Saze is the daughter of political refugees who spent her life living in numerous different countries before eventually finding home in Brooklyn, New York. Self is described as a “reflection” of her struggles at finding her own identity and a “memoir” of the different places she’s lived during her journey, including Georgia, Russia, USA, France, and Canada. We’re told that in contrast to her earlier EP, Solace, out via her own Dusk & Haze, Self is downtempo and features a medley of musical influences. 

The release comes in two parts on cassette. Part one was conceived during a sleepless yet inspired 48-hour studio session. Processed field recordings accompany samples from Saze’s childhood, such as soviet cartoons and intimate VHS recordings of her family. The result is a personal story portrayed in 14 tracks all mixed together.

“I feel the element of patience is somewhat of a lost commodity in our generation, particularly for albums,” Saze says. “We’re consumed by track to track interpretations and constantly searching for the next instant stimulation. With this record, I wanted to reiterate the idea that if you don’t have the willingness to sit through the whole thing, then you’re not stepping into it with the right mindset to begin with.”

Every artist who collaborated on the record is handpicked, such as vocalist Ricardo Rivera. The final production was also mixed by Francis Harris himself. 

Tracklisting

01. / A1. Salome (სალომე)

02. / A2. Bare

03. / A3. Tsminda (წმინდა)

04. / A4. Punches

05. / A5. Howl

06. / B1. Flower

07. / B2. Orbits

08. / B3. Volk (волк)

09. / B4. De Dios

10. / B5. Torn

11. / B6. Safe

12. / B7. Kera (კერა)

13. / B8. Mirror Mirror

14. / B9. Aliens

Part one of Self drops on Kingdoms on June 14, with the second part following on July 12. Meanwhile, you can stream “Salome (სალომე)” in full below.