STM 151 - Sally Dige

Sally Dige is a multidisciplinary Canadian-Danish artist currently based in Berlin, Germany. Aside from music, Sally also works as a visual artist and designer. Some of the sources of her inspiration are weird short art films and TV commercials. Sally’s musical path began at the age of 15 when she started playing in her first band with a classmate. Her current sound is a stylish and emotional mixture of coldwave and pop sensibilities, where dramatic melodies and beautiful synth landscapes meet catchy, yet perhaps even somewhat ironic hooks and pop experimentalism. Her music returns us to that golden age of pop. It sounds like a half-remembered 80's MTV broadcast channeled through a gothic filter. Unsurprisingly, Sally's favourite artists range from Michael Jackson and Tears for Fears, to Fad Gadget and Hard Corps - these influences happily coexist in her imaginative sonic world. The new album, "Hard to Please", will soon be released on Glaswegian Night School Records label, which has become a home for classy leftfield pop voyages. In addition to work under her own name, Sally is also involved with Cult Club, where she further pursues emotional synth environments with her partner Laslo Antal, who is also a member of Sixth June. Some might also know her to be a member of the Vancouver new-wave act, Petroleum By-Product.

Secret Thirteen mix 151 is an elegant journey exploring Sally's own catalogue as well as her influences. The mix features Sally’s solo and Petroleum By-Product material, together with Cult Club tracks. The latter starts the selection with a nostalgic and dreamy synth song, which nicely merges into a Terror Bird piano-led ballad. This then leads to an uptempo coldwave piece by Artificial Monuments. Classic 80's pop is not forgotten either. Sinead O'Connor, German melodic synthpoppers Propaganda, and UK darlings the Pet Shop Boys (with one of the more charming musical gems in their collection) all find their way into this mix. Hard Corps sharp cut "Je Suis Passee" adds a spicy French touch to the mix while Sally's own projects showcase the width of her sonic spectrum. The selection gracefully captures the emotionality of pop, the charm of wave/synth music, and nicely pairs the jewels of the 80’s with Sally’s modern output, emphasizing the connections between the two. It’s a nice soundtrack for lovely evening walks, unconventional romantic affairs, or just careless daydreaming.

The mix is reminiscent of the early impressionistic masterpiece by Piet Mondrian - “Amaryllis”. It’s organic, warm, but also a bit distant. The triumphant grace is not unlike the melodic lines, while the combination of cold blue and the distinct red captures the overarching feel. Consistency and simplicity go together with depth and secrecy in this mix.