Sega Bodega – Reestablishing Connections (Top Albums of 2024)

Originally released as a series of YouTube videos during the pandemic, Reestablishing Connections is an EP of collaborative, a cappella covers. I didn’t feel the need for it from the outset, but I have to say that this collection is one of Sega Bodega’s most moving releases.

The EP features a range of Sega friends from the electro sphere, such as Dorion Electra, Eartheater and Oklou, covering classic songs from the 90’s and 2000’s such as “Teenage Dirtbag” and Dido’s “White Flag” ().A general sense of nostalgia pervades the entire listen. Created in 2020, at a time when it was impossible to think about the future, it was very comforting to hear familiar songs from the past. The EP didn’t hit streaming services until mid-2024; listening to it now gives me a new sense of nostalgia and reminds me of all the uncomfortable feelings that existed during the pandemic – each song opens and closes with the FaceTime jingle, which, in this context, is chilling.

Sega uses his mastery of vocal processing to create complete harmonies, corrected to the max. At the same time, the album is raw and unedited, reminiscent of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek ( )”. Each song is profound, both sonically and emotionally. Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” is perhaps one of my favorite songs, and the echoes of Sega, Lafawandah and KUKII’s voices are so beautiful and gentle that they allow me to establish an entirely new relationship with the song. My favorite track on the EP is Isamaya Ffrench’s cover of Robbie Williams’ “Feel”.

I feel deeply moved every time I hear it, and I’ve probably heard it 50 times now – the impact hasn’t diminished. Robbie Williams was a staple for me as a child growing up in the UK, and that yearning to “feel true love, the house I live in” has such a melancholy resonance when sung by Ffrench’s sweet, pure voice. The video of this song really adds to its impact: Ffrench is sitting in her pyjamas, singing into the microphone of her Apple headphones. She looks exhausted and distant, and I really believe and feel every word she says.