Emily Reo

Emily Reo crafts intricate, self-produced tracks that juxtapose organic elements with mechanical ones, luminous tones against shadowy ones, and melodic richness with atmospheric depth. Her work evolved from the hazy noise-pop textures of her 2009 debut Minha Gatinha toward the intricate yet more luminous avant-pop of her third album, Only You Can See It, released in 2019, with vocoder textures forming a consistent sonic signature.

Born in Orlando, Florida, she issued Minha Gatinha herself in 2009 as a set of early home recordings built from her distorted vocals, synthesizers, guitars, drums, assorted natural and electronic effects, and prominent tape hiss. For her follow-up, Olive Juice, which appeared in 2013, she refined her setup to achieve a brighter palette while retaining the layered complexity.

Although Elestial Sounds, a label based in Gainesville, put out that album, Reo had already relocated from Florida through New York, Boston, and Los Angeles by the time of its release; she had settled in Brooklyn when she began work on her next full-length. Shaped by personal mental-health challenges, notably anxiety that confined her to her bedroom for an extended period, Only You Can See It became her first release on Carpark Records. She recorded the album herself across multiple residences and facilities throughout greater New York, enlisting Jack Greenleaf of Sharpless along with Ava Luna members Carlos Hernandez and Julian Fader, each of whom also contributed additional production.