Our "Immaterial" Girl: The Legacy of Sophie Xeon
BY OLI JOHNSTONE
The heart-breaking loss of Sophie Xeon, professionally known as SOPHIE, on Saturday 30th January has left an irreparable chasm in the face of modern music, and an incomparable absence that ricochets throughout every corner of every genre. If you don't know who SOPHIE is, its time you do. And for those who have spent time with our girl, journeying for hours on end through her synthetic shimmering soundscapes, remind yourself that It's Okay to Cry.
SOPHIE rose to prominence between 2013 and 2015 through the gradual release of the hyperkinetic PRODUCT compilation, a series of sugary-sweet singles that hyperbolised the polished sonic landscape of existing pop music. The shiny became the shiniest, the hard became the hardest and the rich became the richest.
PRODUCT is the imaginative playground of SOPHIE's ingenuity, a deeply complex textural soundscape that catapults the listener into the year 2065 with the utmost inhibition.
The stretching and snapping of synthesised rubber, the bizarre squelch of putty under a hydraulic press, and the dissonant crashing of static swarms all work to generate the constant construction and destruction of aggressive melodies and abrasive rhythms so quintessentially SOPHIE, and so inimitably unique.
VYZEE, LEMONADE and BIPP marked this project as a force to be reckoned with, granting SOPHIE an acclaim that launched her from the underground and into production superstardom.
SOPHIE's prolific collaboration with other artists, too, demonstrates a range and versatility unlike any other. From Madonna, to Vince Staples, to Shygirl and Arca, her repertoire straddles an expanse so enormously vast, cementing her position as a mainstream powerhouse as well as a champion of the underground scene.
Her work alongside PC Music, the London-based hyperpop collective, is a defining milestone in her career trajectory. Whilst never an official member of the collective, SOPHIE is attributed to the founding and growth of the hyperpop sub-genre that PC Music have been at the forefront of since its conception.
Their sonic movement towards a "futurised" version of pop has lead to the growing popularity of pitch-shifted vocals, bodacious bass-lines, inorganic textures and the deliberate sense of whimsy that permeates genres across the board. SOPHIE is the mother of pop music's future, but too an indisputable influence across all genres.
© Renata Raksha
I first experienced SOPHIE live at Charli XCX's Pop 2 show, where she played her nine minute long Whole New World, and frankly that is just what SOPHIE creates. I was totally in her thrall. Her close collaboration with Charli, too, defined a U-turn in XCX's career.
The Vroom Vroom EP, produced by SOPHIE, opened gateways for the pop-star whose altered trajectory has lead to some of the best works of the last decade.
However, beyond collaboration, SOPHIE's solo work and stand-alone album Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides broke the mould of artistry once again in 2018. Previously shrouded in anonymity, SOPHIE declared her identity for the world to see in a preceding single entitled It's Okay to Cry.
Bare-chested and against an ever-changing sky, SOPHIE softly welcomes the listener to a new place in her career, with dulcet vocals whispering warm words of comfort: I can see the truth through all the lies / And even after all this time / Just know you've got nothing to hide / It's okay to cry (It's okay to cry).
© Renata Raksha
For the first time, and after several years of speculation, SOPHIE whole-heartedly proclaims her trans identity and celebrates it with a clear sense of euphoria oozing out of the deliciously swirling climax.
Whilst I may never fully understand the trans experience, from what I have read following her passing, I can gather that SOPHIE granted many trans listeners the same sense of euphoria about their own identities in a world where dysphoria is oftentimes the dominant narrative around transness.
Her work is imbued with a sense of non-conformity, a curiosity and an implicit self-awareness. I can never know how important she is to her many trans and non-binary listeners, but I am forever grateful for the joy and unity she represented, as well as her significant contribution to the LGBTQ+ community.
SOPHIE might be gone in earthly form, but I imagine she's now dancing eternally in a hyperkinetic synthetic dreamland of her own beautiful creation. Like all legends, her legacy is infinite and profound, shaping pop music forevermore. SOPHIE reminds us in Immaterial that nothing is fixed and everything is artificial - so why not just have fun?
I am so indebted to her for not just her impact on music, but her impact on my sense of self, my understanding of culture, gender and queerness, as well as the wild enjoyment she has given me over the last several years. With this being said, I'll always hold onto Sophie Xeon, you'll do the same, and it'll be JUST LIKE WE NEVER SAID GOODBYE.
This year’s FUZE is in aid of two charities: ArtRefuge and Black South West Network.
