Alé Araya and aisu Craft a Dancefloor Dream With "Citrine"
Dear God, the men you put on this earth to hunt for food are in the club playing Certified Lover Boy. There are DJs with a USB full of Jack Harlow DnB remixes in one hand and a $17 vodka soda in another. They’re yelling “open that shit up!” into a $40 cardioid mic, their sets look more similar to Rap Caviar than they do something from this century, and worst of all, they’re failing to craft the perfect vibe that justifies leaving your home to go out in the first place.
We are forsaken in the city of angels, but hark! Salvation is on the horizon in the form of a shining light at the border of infinity—a leyline connecting us to something greater than ourselves, a glimpse of majesty so perfect, so pure, so angelic, and ethereal in every shape and form. I’m talking, of course, about “Cirtrine,” the newest release from LA-based artists Alé Araya and aisu.
“Citrine” is an indescribably magnetic banger whose palpable charm is just as undeniable as it is understated. Though it leaves me speechless, here I type on my silly little keyboard. Hypnotic and dreamlike ambiance find themselves intertwined in perfect harmony with Araya and aisu’s dulcet vocals flourishing under the careful guidance of Sara Kawai’s unparalleled production. “Citrine” is tender and experimental, synthesizing elements of electronic, house, and R&B into something that is truly in a lane of its own.
Though I may be exhausting my yearly quota of 11 letter words, I am simply grasping at straws trying to do “Citrine” justice. Alé Araya, aisu, and Kawai are a combination of forces so syzygic that I quite literally feel like a different person after having heard this song. High praise, I’m aware, but I’m certain you’ll feel the same after just one listen.
Listen to “Citrine” below:
