Bas Relief by Michelle Pollace
"Bas Relief" (French for “low relief” and pronounced “Bah Relief”) is my latest collection of electronic-based music, a continuation of the work I introduced with "I'm Just Happy to Be Here" (2024).
The name “Bas Relief” resonates for a few reasons: first, the act of making art gives me relief from the chaos of the world today; second, my goal with my music, which is usually happy and uplifting, is to provide respite from the doom-scrolling and rage-baiting hellscape that the digital landscape where we connect has become; and third, that bas relief itself, a sculpting method used in making coins, speaks to the precarious state of commodified music these days. I put my face on a penny because I thought it’d be a humorous way to lament how music has been devalued by streaming services (artists make an average of 0.4 cents per stream) and generative AI.
This EP features four tracks:
"Brave Azaleas," the first single from the EP, fuses breakbeat, jazz piano, synth melodies, and Brazilian percussion. “The world burns, but Brave Azaleas, they bloom anyway,” is a poetic tag line I came up with to summarize the vibe of this song: a ray of light in dark times.
“Viagem a Baia (Travel to the Bay)” also has a little Brazilian-percussion flavoring, but it’s a soaring house-inspired track featuring jazz harmonies.
“Spring Fever,” a jazzy drum and bass tune, has me branching out on electric guitar, the first time I’ve commercially released anything with me playing electric guitar (I did record some acoustic guitar for texture on “Viagem a Baia,” which you may hear on careful listen).
Finally, “Talvez Para Voar (2025 Remix)” rounds out the collection of songs on the EP, a revamp of "Talvez Para Voar," released in 2024 as part of the EP “I’m Just Happy to Be Here.” Still featuring Lola Leona's lush vocals, this version sports a tighter arrangement and the energetic tempo more consistent with house music. Still on the jazzy side, still surprising with afro 6/8 during breakdowns – just more ready for your dance-music playlists!
As with my previously released EP, I’m is releasing "Bas Relief" as a series of singles on streaming services, but making the entire EP available for digital download.
Tracklist
| 1. | Brave Azaleas | 3:05 |
| 2. | Viagem a Baia | 3:21 |
| 3. | Spring Fever | 2:56 |
| 4. | Talvez Para Voar (2025 Remix) | 4:00 |
Credits
All songs composed, performed, produced, and mixed by Michelle Pollace, except lead vocals on "Talvez Para Voar (2025 Remix)" by Lola Leona.
Cover art by Michelle Pollace.
Michelle certainly had a lot of fun in her little studio putting this whole thing together.
License
All rights reserved.
Michelle Pollace is an award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist. Her new music blends jazz sensibility, Latin and Brazilian rhythms, and electronic elements.
Michelle’s diverse musical journey includes Lou Harrison’s renown Gamelan Si Betty, a collaboration with Abel Zarate (former Malo guitarist/cowriter of “Suavecito”) in the Zarate Pollace Project and leading her won Latin Jazz band.