#Carmen Villain’s “Subtle Bodies” is a slow-moving stream

Carmen Villain’s electric impulses tend toward the natural world. “Gestures” — the lead single from her forthcoming record, Only Love From Now On, out February 25 via Smalltown Supersound — spirited the listener into a forest on some distant planet. And today’s follow-up, “Subtle Bodies,” seems to zoom in on a single, gentle stream.

For the new track, the U.S.-born, Norwegian-Mexican sound artist drew inspiration from the work of Cuban-American performance artist and sculptor Ana Mendieta.

“I found Ana Mendieta’s work deeply moving in many ways, in an emotional sense but also in the way she fully immersed herself into her art, connecting her humanity, strength, rage and vulnerability with nature,” Villain writes. “It’s a deeply layered immersion. I had her, and especially her ‘Silueta’ series, in mind when I made ‘Subtle Bodies.’ Making music is for me about a complete immersion into sound, a continuous conversation between an idea and what comes back to me from what develops sonically.”

Villain has also shared an even slower, longer, more languid reimagining of “Subtle Bodies'” slow-moving stream by New York-via-Kansas producer Brian Leeds (Huerco S).

“I have been a big fan of Brian’s work for a good while,” Villain explains. “He’s got an impeccable approach to sound and texture and communicates a lot with his music I think. So I was very happy he was into doing a version for me when I asked him. I asked him to choose whichever track he wanted from the album, and he went for ‘Subtle Bodies.’ The result is deep and fizzy, I love it.”

Listen to both versions of the song below.