Martyna Basta

Classically trained in guitar, Polish artist Martyna Basta escaped from academia after performing a Mauro Giuliani concerto and impulsively selling her beloved instrument. She used the money to buy a synthesizer and quickly pivoted to a different type of composition, working with field recordings, voice, and electronics, and building instruments back into her work on the periphery. After self-releasing a slew of music on Bandcamp, Basta's debut album proper "Making Eye Contact With Solitude" appeared on Slovakia's Warm Winters label last year and was praised for its subtlety and restraint.

Harmonizing with recent soft-focus experiments from claire rousay and Perila, or the literate sonics of Félicia Atkinson, Basta's work exudes gentleness without compromising spontaneity or emotional complexity. Using processed violin, zither and harpsichord, vocals and a suite of personal environmental recordings, she creates music that brings an air of mystery into domestic routine. Her Unsound 2020 performance will include tracks from her forthcoming album.