Devi Mambouka’s second album of dark-ambient recordings as Masma Dream World may have come together over the course of two short weekends, but the sounds and concepts held within span the artist and healer’s entire lifetime. Mambouka’s decade-long musical journey began in Gabon, where she was born, and winds through France, Singapore, Bali, Italy, and The Bronx, where she has since settled to digest these various life experiences and translate them to the eerie ambient sounds heard on her recently released Please Come to Me LP.
Having shared the album last month, Mambouka is now offering a glimpse at her photo diary of the journey outlined above. Spanning 10 years and several continents, these images spell out the background and inspiration for the Masma Dream World project and the textures and tones of Please Come to Me more specifically, as some of the recent entrants take us to the locales where elements of the album were recorded. Stream the LP here, and embark on the journey below.
GABON, 2014
In Libreville moments before I met the park ranger who said that if I represent Gabon in music, it will go far.
My brother, a master drummer and healer, playing drums that you can hear in all of my albums and EPs.
FRANCE, 2021
This is where I recorded the vocals you hear on “The Island Where the Goddess Lives.”
SINGAPORE, 2023
This is where I recorded field recordings for “Seeking Your Protection.” Moments prior, I had an eye-opening meeting with the priest of the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.
BALI, 2023
During the prayers, I felt a whisper and a calling to record field sounds at a Pura Tanah Kilap temple. On my way out, I saw a painting of a woman who looked familiar in a not-in-this-lifetime sense. Curious about the artwork, I asked about it and learned that it depicted a local priestess who became a saint. I titled the song “The Island Where the Goddess Lives” from the recording and reconnection. However, as I looked up at the elderly woman in the painting before sending the photo, I realized she’s considered a goddess, known as Ratu Niang Sakti.
ITALY, 2023
The courtyard is where I placed my phone to record the bells in “Pordeno Me.”
