Odelet’s “Raindance” — A Surrealist Storm of Sound and Soul

With her latest release, “Raindance,” Detroit-born, California-based artist Odelet once again defies categorization and delivers a bold, genre-melting statement that’s equal parts emotional, cinematic, and sonically adventurous. Blending analog warmth with forward-thinking composition, “Raindance” isn’t just an album—it’s an experience. And when paired with its dub-style companion record, “Raindance In Dub,” it becomes something even bigger: a multi-dimensional artistic world built on texture, mood, and raw feeling.

Calling Odelet’s style “Surrealist R&B” isn’t a marketing gimmick—it’s a genuinely fitting term for music that floats above genre lines while remaining deeply human at its core. On “Raindance,” Odelet dives into the emotional middle ground between soul, electronic, ambient, and experimental pop, creating something completely her own. There’s a poetic unpredictability to the way she builds her songs—melodies shift like weather patterns, rhythms feel alive and organic, and her voice moves between intimacy and detachment with captivating ease.

What makes “Raindance” so compelling is how personal it feels, even as it stretches out into surreal sonic territory. This is modern music rooted in feeling rather than formula. Odelet not only wrote, produced, and performed most of the album herself, she also co-runs her production company, Everlasting Tape, with longtime collaborator Jack “riddim.” Their dedication to hands-on artistry is clear in every moment of this record.

Mixed entirely analog by the legendary Larry Crane—known for his work as Elliott Smith’s archivist and for running Jackpot! Recording Studio in Portland—the album has a tangible warmth and depth. It doesn’t sound pristine in the polished pop sense; it sounds real, as if each track has weight and breath of its own. Crane’s understated mix choices allow space for Odelet’s intricate compositions to breathe. Each track seems to unfold gradually, drawing listeners into a universe that feels as intimate as a diary and as cinematic as a dream.

Crane also contributed to “Raindance In Dub”, a full-length remix project that reimagines the songs in the spirit of 1970s dub music—heavy on reverb, echo, and spacious experimentation. Rather than just tacking on a remix album as an afterthought, Odelet and her team make it part of the creative arc. The dub versions open up the emotional undercurrents of the original songs, offering a looser, more fluid reflection of the core album’s themes.

Odelet isn’t only reshaping musical boundaries—she’s pushing into visual art as well. Accompanying the release of “Raindance” is a new series of episodes from her ongoing documentary project, “Everlasting Tape.” This multimedia endeavor reimagines the scores of archival and iconic film footage, and the series has already gained traction on the festival circuit, winning numerous awards and screening at over fifty film festivals. It’s more evidence that Odelet’s creativity is expansive, interdisciplinary, and deeply intentional.

“Raindance” is not built for casual listening. It’s designed to pull you in layer by layer, to reward focus and repeat plays. Tracks drift between ambient lullabies and groove-driven experiments, with lyrics that read like late-night journal entries—fragmented, reflective, and emotionally direct. There’s a kind of rainfall rhythm to the album as a whole: gentle at times, overwhelming at others, but always purposeful.

Despite its experimental edges, “Raindance” is never cold or detached. In fact, what makes it so powerful is its emotional resonance. Odelet’s voice—at once ethereal and grounded—acts like a guide through a storm of feeling: longing, memory, surrender, revival. Each track feels like a chapter in some unspoken story, where the details may be abstract, but the emotions are universal.

Odelet’s “Raindance” is a major step in a year that already seems packed with milestones for her. From releasing six albums in just 12 months, to building an entire visual and sonic brand under Everlasting Tape, she’s proving that true artistry isn’t about hype or trends—it’s about vision, execution, and staying honest to the work.

“Raindance” is a reflection of an artist at the height of her creative powers. It’s intimate, imaginative, and endlessly replayable—a genre-defying triumph that only deepens the mystery and brilliance of Odelet’s growing catalog. If you’re looking for something that sits outside the mainstream but hits deeper than most of what’s in it, Raindance is a storm worth standing in.

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