“a vital queer voice in music”
MUSIC
reeta loi
Rooted in Brixton’s live scene as a poet and jazz singer in the 2000’s, Reeta became front person of LO Freq and released by BBE alongside Meshell Ndegeocello, Mark Ronson, Sia, Cinematic Orchestra, and Matthew Herbert. The band were prolific on the live scene internationally with a tour and vinyl release sponsored by Converse.
As a producer Reeta went on to develop a unique style of London x South Asian Sounds, sampling ’60s and ’70s Bollywood vinyl and distorting perceptions of gender and sexuality while DJing worldwide at venues, festivals and events including Mumbai Pride.
A selection of experimental works were released on debut ep ‘Ek’ in 2018 and playlisted by the BBC, receiving critical acclaim.
A later body of work entitled ‘Remedy’ was released annually from 2021 centring Loi’s single ‘Remedy’ with a range of dance remixes from producers including Jeia, Works of Intent and YourBoyKiran.
Reeta toured a new show in 2023 entitled ‘The Remedy’, closing with a headline show at Barbican, London.
A new body of musical work is in production in 2025.
EK
Reeta’s debut self-produced solo EP released in 2018 ‘Ek’ under the alias ‘LOIAL’ was received to critical acclaim.
This project explored sampling original ’60s and ’70s Bollywood vinyl as a way to re-discover memories of childhood and family, utilising the vast capabilities of Ableton as a tool to pitch-shift and craft Loi’s vocals and those of iconic singers including Lata Mangeshkar to create lesbian love songs and trans and gender-queer vocal expression.
Top track ‘Unki Yaad’ is an example of vocal re-pitching of Loi’s vocals at the end of the track, whilst the rest of the track is entirely produced from samples constructed from Loi’s father’s vinyl of the 1966 film ‘Do Badan’. The track ‘Lo Aa Gayi Unki Yaad’ in which Mangeshkar is singing about remembering a lost love, Loi flips into a remembering of their own father after several years of estrangement.
Meanwhile ‘Kudi’, meaning ‘girl’ uses Loi’s vocals as a lullaby, along with the recreated sounds of a favourite childhood toy; a ballerina in an empty whiskey bottle that once wound up would play through a mechanical box Tchaikovsky's ‘The Nutcracker’ and the famous ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’.
The ‘Ek’ project under the moniker ‘LOIAL’ {loyal} is one of audio memories as self-discovery and imprinting the trans, lesbian, queer self as experienced internally into a world where this otherwise censored expression may be perceived through sound.
Remedy
Remedy is a song written in the early pandemic years whilst Loi was living in Los Angeles. It is a commentary on the state of society and our own ability to be the remedy to the sufferings of humanity. Later produced as a ‘dystopian rnb’ track and released in 2022 on indie label Stereofox, the track uses a subtle Bollywood vinyl sample which has been highly distorted to create a sense of emptiness.
Loi has worked up numerous live versions of this track including a jazz version performed for TEDxLondon working with artists Gnarly and Jeia. As well as this Loi performs an extended acoustic version at live shows.
EARMILK REVIEW:
“The record is as eclectic as they come, and showcases Loi’s experimental, alt-pop style underpinned by visceral topics ranging from self-awareness, to finding one's true voice amidst the external noise within the system hell-bent on keeping their strap boots on the necks of the masses. Reeta crafts a haunting and dark soundscape made of brooding textures, clashing snares, and thick bass lines that go off the 1, alluding to her love of all things left field. Her performance is expressive and she delivers her message in an offbeat, carefree manner while she etches thoughtful lyrics that explore the underhanded ways of the world. Lines like "They know how to capitalize on your skills for paper/Until they recognize their inhuman behavior" hit the ears like a reminder as the chorus follows through with a foreboding aura.”
LO Freq
Cinematic band LO Freq performed and released music from 2004-2010 and still have a loyal global following. Reeta was front-person, songwriter and lead vocalist. The band toured extensively in the UK and Europe and were sponsored by Converse. They released a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Blowout’ with BBE. The album featured artists including Meshell NDegeocello, Sia, Cinematic Orchestra and Mark Ronson.
“Lo Freq confidently traverse planes of lush and layered sonic landscape. Lilting voices, intricate acoustic guitar and soft sweeping electronics merge to form a full and perfectly finished sound. A beautiful new emergence from East London."
- Millie Ross – CLASH
“Avoiding the howling feedback and over-amped guitars of the original, Lo Freq turn “Blow Out” into a gentle lilting acoustic track, before it blossoms into a gentle house number. Comparable to the best that Morcheeba and Zero 7 had to offer, Reeta's emotive vocals wrap beautifully around Yorke’s “Everything I touch turns to stone”. Only as the tempo increases does the polished production and tasteful guitar of brothers Michael and Jamie Perera come to the fore. Blow Out is Lo Freq’s BBE debut, the only band to choose a track from Radiohead’s own debut, “Blow Out” reveals Lo Freq as a band to watch.”
- Andy Morris – GQ
