Dutch singer-songwriter Tamara van Esch teams up with dancer Anna Mikuła for a hypnotizing live performance video.
With her new single “You’d Rather Fantasize”, Tamara van Esch explores “the pull between imagination and reality, unfolding in hypnotic rhythms and swelling into a dreamlike resolution.”
While the studio version of the song explodes with spirited arrangements (listen below), in the live video Tamara van Esch only employs a guitar.
She’s accompanied by dancer Anna Mikuła, and together they fuse music and movement into one captivating narrative.
“You’d Rather Fantasize” is the latest song Tamara van Esch initially recorded in Dutch, but recently re-released with English lyrics.
“I wanted to translate the songs that I released in 2019 and 2022, to play them with English lyrics during my shows. I’ve been singing them live like this for at least a year now and I love how it gives me a combination of ‘nostalgia’ and a fresh touch to the songs,” says Tamara.
It’s also not the first time she worked with Anna Mikuła. “We have been working on a music and dance performance called ‘4 am’ about insomnia – says Tamara – because we both suffer from restless and sometimes even sleepless nights regularly.”
After two years of improvising and creating, they decided they wanted to record part of this show, to share with the outside world. “That turned into this live video that we are so proud of. We are making plans to include parts of this performance into my shows, hopefully in small theatres in 2027,” she adds.
Switching from Dutch to English, meanwhile, gave her more freedom in her voice. “My melodies changed because this freedom helped me use a wider vocal range and I applied more filters and different techniques in my songwriting,” explains Tamara.
Studio version:
She has also been writing new songs with London-based composer Iain Chambers. Their collaboration will result in her next album, set for release in 2025, in which she presents herself as her “200-year-old persona Gracie who lives in 2045, describing her past and future life experiences.”
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