Sofie Fatouretchi has been playing classical violin and viola since she was four, but for much of the 2010s, she was more prominent as a DJ and curator than a musician. She was a creative director at Boiler Room and began hosting a monthly show on NTS Radio in 2014, and her long-standing relationship with Stones Throw has brought artists such as
Knxwledge and
Mndsgn to the label. She compiled
Sofie's SOS Tape in 2016, including two of her own collaborations with
Mndsgn, and she's also played strings on albums by
NxWorries,
Jonwayne, and
Teebs. She moved back to Vienna (where she had studied music as a youth) and began writing songs in isolation following a sudden breakup and an illness in the family. Her music is more in line with Stones Throw's off-beat California pop side than the hip-hop and funk they made their name on, although
Sofie seems to play it much more straightforward than
Jerry Paper or noted major influence
Gary Wilson. The songs are generally at laid-back tempos and filled with Mellotrons and sad-
Lennon pianos, sometimes dipping into hazy, home-brewed R&B. Her songwriting addresses her personal experiences, channeling her frustrations, restlessness, and disappointment, with occasional release coming in the form of dreams ("Every time I close my eyes, I get to be with you a while," she fantasizes on "Asleep"). "Baby" is a bit more upbeat and hopeful, as
Sofie pleads for her former lover to return so they can try to give their relationship one more chance. "Truth of the Matter" disguises its worried yearning with a bouncier mid-paced rhythm, harpsichord-like keyboards, and enough druggy echo to make it all seem like a gas.
Sofie saves the best for last -- melancholy disco track "Happen 2 B There" is absolutely stunning, with the artist pondering her place in the world over subdued keyboards and a steady, cowbell-flecked beat. On
Cult Survivor,
Sofie expresses true heartache and disillusion while keeping in tune with her dreams in order to cope with the heaviness of it all.