Features : Ksalba is bringing attention to dark emotions with their album Reaching For Darkness

Ksalba is a musical duo from Bulgaria that creates dark pop. A separate musical project from their band Grimaze, their ominous and brooding production paired with lyrics that reflect on what some consider negative emotions is an atmospherically immersive experience for all their listeners. Their single “A Girl Like Me” comes from the album Reaching For Darkness and both are out now.

One of the most interesting things about “A Girl Like Me” is the way it came to be. Initially, one member of Ksalba sent a rough early version of the track to the other. Upon receiving it, the other member wasn't a huge fan of it but wanted to work on it because their partner was excited about it. Ironically, it became their favorite song. This is just a small example of their chemistry and commitment to the music they make. Making “dark” music is not something Ksalba does simply for aesthetic purposes but with emotional intentionality. Emotions are present in all music but they tend to favor negative emotions. However, this is not to say they are negative people but rather they can acknowledge having negative emotions is part of being human. And expressing them through music is an effective way to acknowledge them. “The darker parts of us are not widely accepted. Many of us grew up with emotionally immature parents who discouraged our negative emotions. But now, we're more emotionally intelligent. And through music, we can embrace these suppressed emotions in a healthy way.” said Ksalba.

Making music as a duo makes things easy for Ksalba because they already know each other so well. They know what one person likes and the other doesn’t but they also remain open minded with each other. They are willing to see how important something is to the other person and give it a chance, such was the case with “A Girl Like Me.” With one member approaching music from an intellectual standpoint and the other approaching from an emotional standpoint, they can create music that conveys the feelings they want lyrically, sonically and atmospherically. “We compliment each other. But, we’re both drawn to the same dark aesthetics. When we are looking to create music that is not there, we are looking for the same thing more or less.” said Ksalba.

Reaching For Darkness is the first album from Ksalba but there is more coming. With the duo forming during the pandemic in 2020, they feel great about finally sharing what they’ve been working on across the years with the world. Together they feel a combination of relief and happiness about releasing the album. But, with this being the first album, they can’t help but look forward to what’s coming next too. “We started working on these songs in 2020 during the pandemic and it was more of an experiment back then. Then somewhere around 2022, we started to move into the types of songs that are on the album. I’ve always loved the songs and I’m really happy they’re ready to be released.” said one member of Ksalba. “I’m really happy that it’s going to be out because it gives us space to create something new. I see this as a warm-up. We’ve found our voice and direction, now we will have space because with space things will happen.” said the other member of Ksalba.

Ksalba has plans for music videos that are coming soon too. They look forward to sharing visuals that compliment the music and enhance the experience for their listeners even more.

Reaching For Darkness by Ksalba is available on streaming services now.

You can see more of Ksalba’s emotionally intelligent music by keeping up with them on these platforms.

Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram

The Starlight PR Team thanks Ksalba for taking the time to speak with us.