Sienná returns with brand new LP

Born in Kyoto and now based in Oslo, Sienná has spent more than a decade developing an electronic sound that presents a spectacular collision between styles and cultures. Her music is often described as an East-meets-West blend but the description only begins to capture the scope of her output; experimental electronics, house, jazz, classical music and traditional-contemporary Japanese influences all find space within her work, while a strict ‘no rules’ philosophy allows her to move between sounds.

Independence has become central to Sienná’s work as a songwriter, producer, live act and DJ and by not following a normal artistic path, she prioritises creative freedom and sonic exploration. Her music is built around the idea that electronic production doesn’t need to follow fixed templates, opening up space for unexpected combinations and non-linear structures. Over a decade of performing across Europe and Asia, Sienná has also developed a collaborative history that reflects her place within the avant-garde music sphere.

She’s worked with Norwegian psychedelic jazz trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær and English bassist Mick Karn, while also performing as an opening act for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown on several occasions in the UK. Those experiences sit alongside her own developing catalogue, which has continued to explore the overlap between electronic music and wider musical traditions.

Now Sienná returns with Ema, her seventh full-length album and her first new release in Norway since 2023’s concept album Wa-Kei-Sei-Jyaku. The new nine-track record represents another expansion of her cross-cultural concept, moving into areas that encompasses cinematic music, drum and bass, ambient, glitch and Japanese traditional influences. Ema lands as a collection of nine image-to-sound syntheses, with each piece arising from Sienná’s encounters with the natural world. The ideas were developed in Kibune valley in Kyoto and on Ischia island, where walking alone through tranquil surroundings became part of the songwriting process.

The concept reaches into Japanese spiritual context through the meaning of Ema itself, described as a tool for communicating directly with the divine, with the album becoming a way of writing down messages from the natural world and transforming moments of observation and reflection into electronic compositions. The songs began as ideas that arrived while moving through landscapes, becoming a musical form of sketches for impressions that could not otherwise be drawn.

The lead single “Be A Seeker, Believer” opens the record, reflecting the emotional centre of the album, built around themes of determination and self-belief. Set up by a hazy blend of swirling textures and pattering percussion, the track flows with steady rhythmic march as the shifting instrumentation and delicate vocalisations combine into an engrossing soundscape of highly original experimental music where memorable melodic ideas puncture the immersive setting of avant-garde construction.

“Your Facts My Facts” leans into a more danceable sound with pulsing bass shots and intricate percussive energy crafting a grooving jam that rolls with bouncy punch and slick vocal samples. Title track “Ema” forms with the swell of woozy instrumental tones as elegant melodies flutter above, casting a dreamy scene that puts Sienná’s minimalist sound on full display. “Aenaria” glides with a graceful blend of piano and strings capped by soothing vocal leads, which sees Sienná explore more traditional Western instrumentation to present a transportive moment of modern orchestral pop.

“369 (Miroku)” arrives with the ominous pulse of deep bass tones as intricate percussive shots add to the forward motion and chanted vocal elements build the dark atmosphere, setting up an engaging jam that flows with a combination of moody aesthetic and delicate instrumental flickers. “Finding Inner Sanctuary” creates a playful sound with a fusion of piano and chiming instrumental elements, offering a stripped back and melodically blissful moment on the record.

With “The Majestic,” the buzz of synth is met by rolling percussive shots and layers of gliding instrumentation to deliver a stunning display of Sienná’s experimental compositional talents. “A Messenger” jumps into another danceable jam where staccato keys and shuffling drums float above grooving basslines to lay down an energising musical experience before closing track “From Here To Where You Are” serves up a superb piece of avant-garde instrumental music to offer an engaging finale to the record.

Listen to Ema below