Burju – Monomaniacal Heart (Single Review)

‘Monomaniacal Heart’ is the new EDM single from Burju, the Californian musician and self-styled ‘QUEEN of the scene’.

The 49-year-old describes her music style as ‘infectious melodies over layered over crisp production that screams “festival headliner”’.

When a musician tells you something like this before you review their music, you go in looking to find exactly that. Listening to the song, it’s clear the hype is deserved. This is music that’s likelyto have anyone dancing. The instrumentation is what truly impresses me, even more so than the varied vocals.  It’s worth noting, however, that the vocals are the kind that grow on you with repeat listens.

The song begins with a rapid, echoing wood percussion effect. The arrangement then introduces a three-note, synthetic ‘bleep’ motif. The motif is defined by its final step: the third bleep is perfectly layered with a sharp, metallic knock. This motif establishes the core of the arrangement. Introduced early on and often repeating to establish the groove before receding and reappearing strategically, it punctuates the track’s structure.

Female vocals make their entrance during this motif, immediately establishing the theme by repeating the phrase, “Nothing I can do,” twice. The vocals vanish just as a sharp, driving kick drum enters the mix. Moments later, the male vocals arrive, delivering the lyrical message: ‘Round and round in the underground, you’re lost. Now you’re found. Now in full swing, the kick is underpinned by a sharp metallic hi-hat accenting the rhythm.

Next, a rhythmic, humming female vocal enters the mix, adding a melodic pulse that sounds like ‘bump-bump-bump’. The earlier ‘bump-bump-bump’ vocal pulse reappears, but now the texture has sharpened into a quick, repeated ‘yuck-yuck-yuck’ articulation.

Following a few more vocal textures, the mix introduces a horn blast alongside a sharp, but short-lived, bleep or piano accent.

SCORE/Excellent: Ultimately, the single’s instrumentation lives up to the hype. What slightly dampens the mood, however, are the lyrics. Furthermore, while the vocal delivery is certainly varied and experimental, it takes time for a listener to fully appreciate its unique textures. My only fear is that, even with repeat listens, the vocal texture may still fail to fully satisfy.

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