Gisèle - It's A Vibe
By Christianah Jesudass-Roberts (@mstiaroberts)
God I love East London! Newham born and bred, this literally is home. Every so often I proclaim this from the rooftops and I am very much aware that this is followed by virtual side eyes due to some presumed assumption of what this proclamation means but really it’s just cultural pride. Having grown up feeling somewhat isolated from the culture in which I hold so close to my being (and which has majorly influenced the character I hold today), I can be all the more open about this, especially when it comes to the art that is born from this side of the river. Having worked in events, and especially as I pursue a career in content creation (vents about the representation in/on television is never far from my tongue) I do my best to keep my finger close to the pulse of great, progressive new talent, so you can imagine how excited I get when I hear good music born straight on my doorstep (metaphorically speaking).
Anyway, whilst I indulged on my usual 27 hours a day on the internet (yes, I said what I said, don’t ask me no questions - time moves all the more slowly when you have been home for months), I came across this gem of a track that has been slayed - to say the very least - by East London singer, Gisèle. It’s A Vibe, her latest song, is an encapsulating release. The moment I heard the beat, my attention was captured, and the moment she introduced her vocals, well that bad boy was put on repeat and a babygurl started making notes.
“She merges her sound beautifully with a quintessentially Black British pulse that vibrates through the listener, forcing movement through you.”
Gisèle’s voice is light yet echoey. She is so current in her sound, but simultaneously she brings me all the nostalgic vibes that come with the lightness of her voice, almost identical to the sound that finessed me in the UK funky house era 10 years ago. She merges her sound beautifully with a quintessentially Black British pulse that vibrates through the listener, forcing movement through you. She is sassy in her sound, cheeky, confident but delicate and flirtatious all at the same time. There is such a moreish sound in this tune, that draws you in to the beat, that you can’t help but dance to - but it does this gently nevertheless.
Gisèle’s latest release has this wonderful way of merging a variety of sounds, both classic and modern into the most vibrant track. The tune fluidly moves through a plethora of genres giving listeners a universally rounded experience. With influence sitting very strongly in Afro-fusion, Gisèle manages to keep this vitality within the track whilst also grabbing on aspects of UK funky sound and British R’n’B, navigating through the powerful and punchy melody across a delicate and flowy path throughout the track. The beat has an amazing, enduring way of prompting you to move. The pace of her vocalisation builds the energy of the tune, she is smooth but punchy and rhythmic. Altogether sis is giving us one hella a damn vibe.
As a vocalist, Gisèle is a representation of the excellence that can come from really celebrating a hybrid influence. There is a strength that comes thorough genre-defying artists that break the mould to stand out in their art. Gisele does just this in the track and it is nothing short of rewarding to listen to. It is enough to draw you into that Friday night out vibe, even if it’s just at home for the meantime. IT’S A VIBE is out now on all major streaming platforms.