Once upon a time in a barn far, far away there lived Horsegiirl. Half girl. Half horse. All aura. She’s from Berlin, Germany where she is a DJ who is not only a whimsical character, but is also elusive by wearing this hyper realistic horse mask everywhere she goes like a mythological creature. In my opinion, she could’ve been Dragongiirl, since she was born in 2000, but who am I to tell someone to stop horsing around? So, I do like the cut of her jib as she calls her fans, “farmies” and NME magazine calls her haters, “neigh-sayers”. This fantastical being has found a passion in DJing and when Germany is a haven of electronic music, it would make sense that Horsegiirl thrives in that habitat by finding her footing and dipping her hooves into many genres if it makes a dance club pop off. She does EDM in many breeds and colors, whether it’s acid techno and eurodance on “My Barn My Rules”, or whimsical hardstyle on “eat, sleep, slay”, or the one track that put her on the map for was “take it offff”, in which she tells me she does have the chops to make an infectious dance tune with these night shaded synths over techno kicks that I put on repeat for a myriad of days. So, her V.I.P. EP was decent, but honestly, I was hoping for more. Then not too long after, my friend told me about Nature Is Healing and I now predict that this is going to be a great stepping stone on how everyone will consume her art. She is ready to go into long form content in this album release and I must say, there are good bops here. The name of the album pertains to our green Earth, so it’s a noble cause and message. That makes sense, since she’s half animal, a horse of course. There are albums of course, a horse, that have done a tribute to nature in many different ways. For example, the Fables album by Isabell Pines I wrote about a while back was about the appreciation of nature and its soundscapes, but that was a serene, pensive experience. Nature Is Healing is all about dancing your ass off in the woodlands. She also provides her always sweet, airy vocals to appeal to the playful nature of this project. Not only that, she does a throwback to Y2K pop frequently here. So, while this is a fun EDM album, it has a backdrop that is a dance floor, while your MC wants you to admire this one planet we have to take care of.
After a fun SOPHIE-like intro, we get “that’s my beach!”, which is this hyperpop anthem that commends and anthropomorphizes a beach as a loving being that she loves of course…a horse. The bubblegum bass and the cheerleading vocals are all components that make this track a banger. “Hands hands hands” is for the Y2K lovers with those kicks and that bell tuned drum machine and Horsegiirl makes this track a more intimate encounter, but there is some quirkiness still lingering here. If you’re a fan of euro dance then “earth is turning” is your jam. “AURA” is a cute lovely hyperpop cut with this catchy chorus “Oh oh oh, you got that auraaaaa, like Minnesotaaaa”. It’s absolutely divine and I say it will guarantee you to move with your arms up in the air. What makes this album unique are tracks like “fun guy fungi”, in which Horsegiirl has fun with the psychonauts. Listening to this track is like imagining a bunch of Kodama from Princess Mononoke that are climbing all over you as you melt into colors in an animated Adult Swim acid trip.
We have the title track that is “nature is healing” that is just so lovely and heartwarming. The whispering and delivery is such Annie Lennox and Kate Bush vibes that gives us this dream sequence of a song. It’s just her giving thanks to our planet Earth and all her wild inhabitants. Another highlight was “connect the dots”, is very Janet Jackson, but in…horse form. I love the night of day and velvety production with Horsegiirl’s hooks and vocal melodies on the chorus. Also, bonus points for any sexy saxophone. When I first heard “an apple a day”, I wasn’t into it, but in the context of the album and stepping off that entrancing “connect the dots”, “an apple a day’s” timing just puts you in a party state. It’s this hardstyle techno banger that gives us solid buildups and drops. I also vibe with the robotic “I’m so angry. I’m the doctor!” It’s now one of my favorite cuts here, so don’t knock it, until you bite it! Speaking of favorite cuts though, “organic intelligence (oi)” is probably my favorite track out of this whole apple pie of a record. It sounds so angelic and it’s very pro-not AI. It’s so brief, but I love everything about this track, with its ambient synths, meaty pads, strings, the catchy chorus, and something that sounds like some MIDI harmonica that comes in. But those fairy-like vocables! This track is the one that did the most healing in my non-animal opinion. Then we get a monster closer of 6 minutes and change with “MUSIC GOES ON” with Horsegiirl showboating with lots of hooks and ideas meshed together. It’s a statement of saying “more is on the way” and her journey is not done yet.
Most of the tracks are not bad. Some are hit and miss though. I can take or leave “take me to venus” as it is kind of redundant in its energy as Horsegiirl did it better in other tracks. I really wanted to like the last track with how well made it was, but it wasn’t as captivating as something that closes out an album.
If you love dance music, then keep following what Horsegiirl is doing. What she does is appealing to many fans around who are just into a good vibe and party. It’s nice to see what someone does with their activism and turn it into something catchy and magical. So you should listen to this of course…a horse. The farmies are down for her, but if you’re not into the horse thing, then it still shouldn’t deter you from knowing and listening to good art.
FAVORITE TRACKS: 351%, THAT’S MY BEACH!, EARTH IS TURNING, AURA, NATURE IS HEALING, CONNECT THE DOTS, AN APPLE A DAY, ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE (OI)
LEAST FAVORITE: TAKE ME TO VENUS
Her discography is available for streaming. Links down below.
[Apple Music]﹡[TIDAL]
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