Krista Papista, 24, is unlike other musicians. Since the age of 14 she has written, mixed and recorded music and done so entirely on her own. Today, operating from out of a small bedroom studio in Dalston, she remains unsung and unsigned, though with the determination and potential to go far.
But that is not all. Papista’s songs are open to interpretation – something she unquestionably advocates.
“My sound unravels elements of Riot Grrl chicness, requiem ballads and film noir trumpets with rabbit hole transitions … my mind is naturally preoccupied by melancholic thoughts and mood swings that manifest in my music,” she says.
The self-coined ‘sordid pop’ musician makes her eclectic tastes and strong sense of self more apparent by using dark, emotive lyrics and deep electronic beats. Her brawny voice echoes the androgynous and otherworldly tones of Karin Dreijer of Swedish experimental duo, The Knife. It is safe to say she is no wilting wallflower.
Papista’s roots are in Cyprus and Australia, and her early experiences growing up in Cyprus led her to discover artists who were non-commercial and far from the mainstream. “I wasn’t particularly interested in anything that was accessible to me,” she says. “I liked punk rock, electronic and pop music, and was never able to see my favourite artists live or even hear the music I liked anywhere. But there are many Cypriot/Greek artists I adore: Soteria Belou, Arleta, Manos Hatzidakis and many more.”
After moving to East London six years ago, Krista is enjoying feeling more settled. “I feel comfortable here. I like the restaurants, I like the gayness, I like the bars, I like the Mediterranean supermarkets and I like the dodgy-ness,” she specifies.
This spring Krista is planning to release her first album (all on her own, naturally) and from there see where ambition takes her. But first comes her morning cup of coffee. “My typical day usually consists of jogging first thing, after that I drink coffee and I either work on my music, read, day dream or get paranoid about everything,” she says.