Julia Gaeta Announces the ‘Blur Divine’ EP; Shares the Title Track

Blur Divine isn’t just a collection of love songs – quite the opposite. These are unlove songs veiled in facades of closeness, distorted reality, and warped perceptions. They tell the story of how loving someone can sometimes mean walking the perilous path of losing oneself, and to balance the scales once again, the act of unloving another becomes of utmost importance. Visual themes on this EP, on the cover, in the video, etc., are of absinthe and murky swamps, representing the continual warping of reality that can easily swallow those who feel the most.

Julia Gaeta has been inspired by personal events, stories of those around her, and perhaps most of all, the push-pull energy of gritty Paris nights. Her perception of the city feels constantly in flux, a testament to the idea that we create our realities.

The EP was mostly written between two locations in Paris, beginning in the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, after Gaeta had just moved to Paris from Berlin. One was a sublet on the eighth floor of a 1970s apartment complex, with the renowned Père Lachaise Cemetery as her backyard and the sprawling cityscape of Paris in the front. The apartment felt like a lo-fi sex dungeon with faux leather curtains, fetishwear found in closets, mysterious stains, and a mirror surrounding the bed. To Gaeta, it represented a window into a collective psyche of others’ pain and pleasure. The second location was more isolated from the city’s hustle and bustle, providing an introspective and personal space to create. These dual locations certainly influenced the record’s dynamic.

In late 2021, Gaeta linked up with James “Perturbator” Kent, who was interested in the track’s dark trip-hop sound. He produced and mixed the track, which coincided with a video by filmmaker David Fitt, an ode to Paris nights.

In 2023, when Gaeta had a full EP complete, she reached out to LA-based producer Alex DeGroot, who is particularly adept at blending organic and electronic sounds, and the two worked across the miles to bring Blur Divine to life.

Julia Gaeta ‘Blur Divine’ album artwork

With her debut solo EP, Blur Divine, Paris-based American musician Julia Gaeta invites listeners into a nocturnal world of introspective yet danceable ‘unlove’ songs. Blending lush dark pop with industrial textures and sultry grit, Blur Divine explores the warped perception, fragmented reality, and obsession that comes with love gone awry but drapes these more sinister themes in an ethereal, fragile veil.

Growing up listening to metal, grunge, post-punk, and goth music, Gaeta inevitably carries the influences of bands such as Alice in Chains, Depeche Mode, and Killing Joke. But she also draws from her deep love of ’90s and early ’00s pop and hip-hop – plus the era of big production they helped usher in. Blur Divine feels like an enigmatic melding of these influences, with some early 4AD vibes added for good measure.

Gaeta has now teamed up with LA-based producer Alex DeGroot, best known for his work with Zola Jesus – to expand her sonic landscape. Laced with massive beats, distorted synths, echoing guitars, and Gaeta’s undeniable vocal depth, Blur Divine reels us in immediately and intimately and beckons us to follow a path into realms oddly familiar yet unexplored.

Julia Gaeta plans to tour her EP in the second half of 2024 and into 2025. She is also beginning work on an LP.