Marina - Orbit Pluto (2019)

Orbit Pluto first came to Marina in a dream as a symbol of compassion for those on the margins of society. A watery spectrum of sound influenced by as many genres as there are genders, Orbit Pluto is a love letter to those marginalized by race, gender identity, class, disability, and other oppressions. Meant to be listened to from either end, the album flows instead from the center song West of the Sun/East of the Moon and radiates outward a commitment to a life-long journey to radical self-love and liberation. The declaration "This is a love song for people like me who are still learning to love our whole selves" can be heard in the beginning track Castor/Pollux and end track I'm Whole. A gentle middle finger to binaries, hard lines, and boundaries, Orbit Pluto attempts to break down, bend, and recreate the most ancient binary of the sun and the moon by challenging and embodying aspects of both, neither, and forgotten in betweens. A deep curiosity for breaking musical rules, only strengthened by a lack of formal musical conditioning, allowed Orbit Pluto to be driven instead by a desire to create a sound that has never been heard before. As playful as it is political, as masculine as it is feminine, as honest as it is mysterious, the album ends with a deep breathe; it’s time to learn how to love yourself so that you can most fully pursue love and justice for others.