7/10
sakakosmos’ 'Me and You' is the kind of spectral bloom that slowly shimmers into frame, reflecting city night soundscapes as it plays. A gentle, glimmering release that rewards deep listening, it’s a quietly dazzling statement from an artist drifting between borders, disciplines, and dimensions.
Inspired by Strawberry Fields Forever and its enduring koan, “Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about”, 'Me and You' is qual parts delicate and deliberate. It’s a collection that leans into ambiguity, letting you hang suspended in the space between in-breath and exhale.
The title-track carries a dusky charm, with sakakosmos forgoing showy vocal runs in favour of an intimate, almost whispered delivery. Her voice lands like thoughts arriving unannounced throughout .There’s a warmth in the restraint, a vulnerability that brings you in close.
While sakakosmos’ roots lie in R&B, soul, and electronic music, this release dips further into ambient-leaning indie-pop territory, aligning more with the tender atmospherics of Oklou or Aurora than any glossy genre box. But unlike many bedroom dream-pop projects, 'Me and You' thrives on subtle worldbuilding.
Instrumentals 'Victoria Line' and 'A Kiss Under The Bridge' are standout moments, unveiling abstract, textural pieces that flirt with sound design more than song structure. The latter layers off-kilter hand drums and organic clicks over a pillowy bed of reverb-drenched keys, conjuring a sense of timeless movement. It’s ambient music with a pulse, but no hurry.
Beyond its sonic qualities, what really defines 'Me and You' is sakakosmos herself, a cross-cultural artist shaped by her time in London, but untethered by it. There’s a cinematic bent to her work, perhaps inevitable given the EP’s inclusion in indie film Strawberry Fields Forever. But this isn’t film music. It’s music for feeling like you’re in a film. Wandering through cities. Losing track of time. Thinking about someone. Or no one.
In the end, sakakosmos offers a refuge. A small island of warmth and wonder in a too-fast world. Which is certainly something worth landing on.
