Holosoil
Built from the ashes of German prog metal quartet R3VO via the addition of vocalist Emelie Sederholm, HOLOSOIL are a band defined by contrast and progression.
“I live on an island in an archipelago in Finland while the guys live in the middle of big city Berlin,” explains Emelie. Drummer Altaïr Chagué believes this creates “a dichotomy in [their] identity. Urban futurism blending with a call to connect with nature.”
This cross-cultural juxtaposition of the metallic structures and electronic undertones of Berlin with Emelie’s naturalistic, almost ethereal voice and lyrics is fully realised in their debut single, 'Look Up'.
The subtle complexity of the core instrumental takes obvious cues from “bands such as Animals As Leaders and Radiohead,” but Emelie’s voice chooses not to become part of the monolith of tightness the band forges. Instead, her lyrics about “humanity’s blindness to what our modern lifestyles are doing to the living world around us” drift spaciously above.
This tension between urban and rural isn’t just confined to their themes — it also shapes how the band writes.
Without a background in rock and metal, Emelie isn’t reigned in by a bias toward how prog vocals ‘should’ be written. Instead, she dives into a newfound freedom, writing directly over the fully formed instrumentals she receives from Berlin.
“Prog has been fun to explore because there aren’t really any rules,” she says. “You don't have to stay within the same melody all the time and you can explore rhythmically. It allows me to focus on the raw power of the voice.”
“Recently I've been connecting more to my Nordic and Viking roots,” she continues. “I'm not writing with a specific genre in mind, but picking up on the vibe the track gives me and calling on something that somehow lingers in my bones. It’s interesting because the guys in Berlin don’t know what is going to come out of it.”
Their upcoming debut EP’s second single, 'Cracks', is a great example of this musical recontextualisation. The low, thunderous wall of pulsating electronics and punishing guitar riffs composed by Altaïr, Jan Kurfürst and Victor Nissim immediately evokes a brutalist, chaotic metropolis. But Emelie’s acrobatic vocal performance is brimming with folk spirit as it jumps between airy lows and birdsong falsetto; references to waterfalls and butterflies transport her lyrics to a bright, open space.
Altaïr is a fan of this unconventional approach: “The rest of us have a background in prog, so it's great to have someone who doesn't come from that. Even though we start out using the codes of heavy music, we end up bordering on pop.”
There’s something almost aleatoric about how the band composes: each piece of music starts life built around one set of experiences, but its unpredictable final form reflects the interpretation of someone living a completely different lifestyle.
“We wanted this to feel like both a fresh start and a redefinition,” adds Altaïr, of their transition away from R3VO. But his words don’t just refer to a new band – this is a new way of making music.
- Dan Peeke
PROG FILE:
Line-Up: Emelie Sederholm (vocals), Altaïr Chagué (drums), Victor Nissim (bass), Jan Kurfürst (guitar).
Sounds Like: A masterclass in prog metal topped with memorable folk-pop melodies.
Current Release: upcoming debut EP doesn’t have a name yet
Website: instagram.com/holosoil (they don’t have a website)