Opening with the insertion of a cassette into a tap deck, it is instantly obvious that Emilia Anastazja’s Flower House is going to embrace heritage and retro aesthetics. And it doesn’t disappoint — it rides a melody that is constructed from a combination of pillowy-soft drums, dreamy vocals and playful synths.
Anastazja claims influences that include Jessie Ware, Mary J Blige and Whitney Houston. I think the sound is actually very close to long-time BlackPlastic favourite and Jessie Ware collaborator Dev Hynes. The overall aesthetic is very close to Hynes’ warm palette — it’s like falling into a warm robe having just had a lovely bath.
Based in London, Polish-Swiss singer, songwriter, and guitarist Anastazja has a somewhat similar sensibility to Hynes… She, too, takes inspiration from a diverse blend of genres, including soul, R&B, Disco and avant-pop. A youth spent surrounded by musicians and jazz, combined with classical training, ensured Emilia ended up committed to music long-term. Having had success and coverage from BBC 1Xtra and 6Music, she has also been featured by The Line Of Best Fit and Dummy.
The song is actually about the impact of gentrification and how that impacts communities, art and our collective memory:
“The lyrics are talking about my reflections and memories of an apartment block that I used to live in with my best friends, which was demolished in front of my eyes. It was a whole community of artists living there, and we always had an open door for everyone and the rent was almost for free. The house was demolished because the state decided to build some more overpriced modern apartments there. This home holds a special place in my memory and is often a place I look back to as the last real place I could call home. I wanted to express both my anger and my fantasy to ‘Burn’ down what now stands in its place.”