“SIETTA IS NOT JUST ANOTHER GROUP. THEY ARE A REVELATION.” – JOELISTICS (TZU)

Sietta are an electronic soul duo from Darwin, made up of producer/instrumentalist James Mangohig and vocalist Caiti Baker.

Both experienced musical childhoods: Caiti travelled throughout Australia to blues and folk festivals with her blues musician father, absorbing dog-eared record collections stocked with Etta James, Memphis Minni and Aretha Franklin; while James sat on wooden church pews with gospel music soaring around him. Caiti spent her entire teenage years recording herself on her dad’s 8 track digital recorder, learning to sing by building harmonies over hip hop tracks; James learnt the bass, performing in numerous bands before honing his skills as a producer. The influence of soulful, spiritual music, helped shaped them: their upbringings bookended by a chance meeting in Brisbane in the mid 2000s, and the uncanny fact that they were both born in the same Adelaide hospital.

Their first official release was a remix for TZU’s Computer Love remix album, coming off the back of James’ role as bass player in the live band. This was followed up with The Come Back Easy Play EP, a collection of 4 songs developed in the studio with Count Bounce (Ash Grunwald, Urthboy).

Over the course of 18 months Sietta cut their teeth on the road, supporting the live soul of Lowrider to the bass heavy electronics of Mark Pritchard, as well as festivals, showcases and headline shows across Australia. They began to establish themselves as an act that shines brightly alongside live bands or in an electronic setting.

In 2010 Sietta began work on their debut album with an inspired set of ideas leading Caiti’s powerful vocals and James’ deep swinging electronic/hip hop production. Once again, Count Bounce (APRA and AIR Award winning, ARIA nominated) was brought in to record and assist with production. The sheer strength and texture of Caiti’s voice could easily be taken down a pop path, but Sietta felt at home in the depths of menacing electronic bass and drums, where beauty doesn’t mean picture-perfect; and lightness is never as illuminating as it is in blinding darkness. It’s in the refreshed imagining of dubstep and blues, hip hop and electronic soul that Sietta tackle themes of empowerment, love, hurt and mental health.

Elefant Traks had always remained within earshot of Sietta’s activities, signing the duo in 2011 after falling in love with the sound they’d created.

That sound is ambitious electronic soul drenched in blues and hip hop, a striking record with no peer in Australian music. Welcome to Sietta’s The Seventh Passenger.