Bulgarian artist Strascha is set to release “Hack” on September 18, delivering a loud, chaotic and unapologetic mix of industrial pop, alternative pop and pop rock.
Sometimes the best songs come from days when you really do not feel like making music at all. That was exactly the case for Strascha when “Hack” came together during a songwriting camp at Sound Ninja Collective in Sofia, Bulgaria.
At the time, Strascha was dealing with the end of an important friendship while trying to keep up with what felt like countless other responsibilities. She was sad, angry and overwhelmed, and on her way to the studio she was seriously considering turning around and skipping the session altogether.
She went anyway. “Hack” was the result.
“I took all of those negative emotions that I was feeling and I channeled them into the song,” Strascha says.
The track came together almost as quickly as the emotions behind it. Strascha arrived at the session already knowing the kind of sound she wanted, and producer Isaak Enchev helped turn that idea into a full production. Guitarist Alexander Hristov, whom Strascha met for the first time that day, added the climactic guitar solo in a single take.
Strascha recorded her vocals in one take before adding doubles, and within roughly six hours, the song was essentially complete.
The final piece of the puzzle came from an unexpected encounter. Bulgarian mix engineer Dimitar Ganchev happened to pass through Sound Ninja that day and heard the track. He suggested adding more noise to the low end through the cymbals. It was not an obvious suggestion for an already loud and intense song, but once the change was made, the difference was immediate.
The result gave “Hack” the extra weight and character needed to complete the track.
For Strascha, the song has remained one of the most important pieces of music she has written.
“Hack became my favorite song from the moment that I wrote it, and I think it still is definitely in my all time favorite songs I’ve written.”
Drawing inspiration from artists including Ashnikko, Cobrah, Addison Rae, Charli xcx, Poppy and Grimes, Strascha has developed a musical identity that embraces the messier parts of being human. Her music does not try to hide difficult emotions. Instead, it takes anger, insecurity, sadness, fear and frustration and turns them into something energetic, playful and empowering.
That philosophy is also built into her name.
Strascha comes from the Bulgarian word strah, meaning “fear.” Rather than treating fear as something to escape, Strascha sees it as something worth understanding and even making friends with.
“Strascha is basically my way of making friends with fear instead of running away from it.”
That idea runs directly through “Hack.” What began as a difficult day becomes a song full of movement, attitude and energy. The track does not attempt to tidy up those emotions. It gives them somewhere to go.
Her wider musical world stretches across pop, R&B, hip-hop, soul, hyperpop and jazz, with Strascha approaching genre as something to explore rather than a box to stay inside. Whether she is creating beats in her living room, performing live, writing songs or simply talking through whatever is on her mind, there is a consistent desire to turn genuine experiences into something creative.
“Hack” is a clear example of that approach. It is messy because the emotions behind it were messy. It is loud because sometimes quiet is not enough. And it is ultimately empowering because Strascha refuses to treat difficult feelings as something that should define or defeat her.
“Hack” arrives September 18.
