Alternative Dream Pop from Naomi Pacifique

Based in Amsterdam, Naomi Pacifique is a Swiss-Dutch creative who spreads her artistic talents across music, filmmaking, visual arts and poetry. Studying creative writing at the prestigious Oxford University, then filmmaking at the London Film School, she draws on her academic pursuits when creating her highly original music and, with Rafael Manuel and Albert Kuhn, has also co-founded the film production company and collective known as Idle Eye.

Taking influence from the poetry of Sharon Olds, Anne Carson and Alejandra Pizarnik, the moving image productions of Lucretia Martel, Jaques Tati and Apichatpong Weerasethakul as well as the vocals and writing of artists such as Big Thief, Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile and the instrumental arrangements of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, CAN, Cate Le Bon and Yo La Tengo, Naomi Pacifique filters her inspirations through her own sonic lens to craft a sound that’s distinctive and entirely her own.

In August 2021 she unveiled her stunning musical vision with the release of her debut single “comment font-ils” before sharing her sophomore track “the sea is coming is” and third effort “was it the dregs of night” this year. Now she’s back with a new release and brings us her latest single with the song titled “I had wanted to hold”.

Originally writing the guitar parts and lyrics for the song in February, “I had wanted to hold” was recorded and produced over the next few months in Naomi’s living room, before being sent over to mixing engineer based in Indonesia, Ishaq Haris Yogaswara. Capturing her rare and dreamy lofi sound, her latest single is an experimental exploration of alternative soundscapes that transports the listener to a distant sonic world.

Linking up with local musician Tancrède D. Kummer to add delicate percussive touches to the song, “I had wanted to hold” is the latest piece released in the build up to her forthcoming debut album called look, the wind is coming for us set to drop next year.

Listen to I had wanted to hold below