chinachinachina’s ‘dive in / breathe out’ is a debut album defined by patience, depth, and emotional architecture
- I'm Not From London
- 13 hours ago
- 2 min read
dive in / breathe out is a debut album defined by patience, depth, and emotional architecture. Málaga-based trio chinachinachina craft a body of work that resists urgency, allowing feeling to unfold at its own pace. Blending dream rock, contemporary R&B, electronic textures, and rhythmic fragments of jungle and drum & bass, the album exists in a space that feels unanchored to genre or geography — immersive, understated, and deeply intentional.
The record is structured as two interconnected movements. Dive in explores descent — emotional risk, mistakes, vulnerability — while breathe out traces the aftermath: reflection, clarity, and release. This conceptual framing is mirrored sonically. Early tracks lean into denser textures and shadowed atmospheres, while later moments introduce lightness and space, allowing melodies to float rather than press.
Production plays a crucial role. Recorded at Green Cross Studios and shaped by John Foyle and Mucky, the album balances intricacy with restraint. Electronic elements never dominate; instead, they blend seamlessly with organic instrumentation. Annie Bravo’s vocals remain calm and expressive, often delivered with a hushed confidence that draws listeners inward. The band understands the power of stillness — knowing when not to fill space.
Tracks such as ‘blind eyes’ and ‘skin’ establish the album’s emotional gravity, while later moments like ‘forget me’ and ‘no ordinary love’ feel like exhalations. Influences may echo London Grammar or The xx, but the album never settles into mimicry. Its identity is its cohesion — a shared emotional language rather than a stylistic statement.
dive in / breathe out is an album about trust: in process, in silence, in emotional honesty. It doesn’t chase impact; it earns it through atmosphere and care. As a debut, it positions chinachinachina not just as emerging artists, but as fully realised storytellers.
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