Hybrid Rose, aka Rose Windeler fka Rose Muollo-Gray, self-produces her own pixel pop tunes.
Grown-up in Blenheim, now based in Te Whanganui-A-Tara, she musically portrays herself as more of an electronic character that seamlessly fits her gritty, distorted storytelling sound. Without much of a break between her last album ‘Shapeshifter’ released in 2021 she is back with a new album called ‘HyperKunt’.
These songs are sassy, sarcastic, and straight up, all at the right times. Everything about these songs is over the top, but it is so clear that that is exactly Rose’s intention. The vocals are enunciated clearly and compressed to feel like she is spitting a powerful message in the face of anyone who’s listening.
The accentuated “extra” way she presents herself in her music is similar to the likes of Lady Gaga. This album includes a few collaborations. Paris featuring Jeivenchy has a baseline that follows the vocal melody and jumpy keys that back the song and give it an off-kilter mood that fits the song’s party theme.
The opening track Dial Tone is eerily similar to I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred, in lyrical placement, rhythm, and melody. Fantasy, the first single off of this album, is a bit slower and more floaty than some of the other songs like I Want It All and Take Me Out ft Ryan The God. However, this song seems to indulge in just enough of a taste of all elements present in the album to give listeners a good idea of what they could expect.
There is no way to avoid listening to the stories Rose has to tell. If she were at a party, she would be telling a story about the crazy last night she had last week with all eyes on her and all mouths ever so slightly open. She demands attention, with the second-person lyrics directed at “you” and the intensely produced backing tracks that dive into the ’80s and ’90s techno-pop style that is unique in 2022.
Go featuring LOZ really sounds like something out of a video game. There are clashing metallic sounds that could definitely be in an alien version of Minecraft. Backed by electronic synth patterns and a beat pad like drum beat Hybrid Rose is on another frequency and might just be a princess on another planet.
