Reifier Breaks Down ‘The Unfolding EP,’ One Track at a Time

Based between Mexico City and London, multidisciplinary electronic producer Reifier unveils her debut EP The Unfolding on 13 February — a six-track body of work that feels intentional, and deeply lived-in, the project centres on voice, atmosphere and emotion as structure.

Reifier is the solo project of composer, producer, engineer and vocalist Daniela Mandoki — but The Unfolding marks the first time the vision feels entirely self-contained. After years working primarily in bands and theatre productions, this is her first fully self-authored release, created over eighteen months and shaped entirely by a singular artistic direction.

At its heart, The Unfolding explores identity, transformation, and the multiple selves we inhabit — both in waking life and in dreams. Surreal, phantasmagorical compositions sit alongside intimate reflections, creating an ebb and flow between the cinematic and the personal.

“This project became a steadfast companion through many significant moments in my life,” Reifier says.
“A constant thread throughout my work is the oneiric world—I am deeply fascinated by the secret life of dreams and the many lives we live within them.”

Dream logic runs through the EP like a quiet pulse. But it’s also anchored in something deeply real: self-discovery, particularly in relation to queerness and acceptance.

“The EP moves from highly surreal pieces to more intimate moments, including the exploration of who I truly am—both in the world, as a queer person, and in the nocturnal selves I inhabit through my dreams.”

The Opening track “Invertia” sets the tone with intricate cello harmonies by Belén Ruíz, bringing warmth and depth to its second half. A bridge solo performed on the Indian instrument Gochipand later processed through effects gives the track its distinctive sonic identity. Although it leads the EP, it was the last piece completed.

“Glimmer” moves inward. A meditation on toxic environments and the illusion of safety in numbers, it begins sparsely — external noise fading away until solitude becomes, unexpectedly, a sanctuary. Gradually, more elements are introduced, mirroring the evolution of an inner world that becomes richer than the one outside.

The title track, “The Unfolding,” was the first Reifier composition completed. It began with an underwater recording, manipulated into the opening textures that anchor the song. From there, it grew into one of the EP’s most personal reflections — tracing the journey of recognising attraction to women and the liberation that followed.

For the accompanying visual, Reifier collaborated with Mexican artist Soledad Violeta, creating a stop-motion video built frame by frame. Each photograph was printed and assembled manually, forming an ode to women in all their difference and individuality, an extension of the song’s emotional core.

“The Flame” shifts the energy entirely. Originally conceived in 2023 as a transitional piece representing fire for the multidisciplinary concert Fragmentary, the track was later completed after reading a horror novel about a monster hunting a woman. The two ideas fused fire and pursuit into a metaphor for anxiety, or whatever unseen force follows you, burning everything in its path. Real matches and fire were used to create parts of the percussion, giving the song a literal heat that feels almost physical.

“Dreamscape,” the first single released under the Reifier project, going fully into the subconscious. Born from improvisation, it follows a narrator walking beneath the sea as reality and dream merge. A grand piano sample was processed through multiple effects to create the main lead’s unusual timbre. Because the improvisation wasn’t recorded to a metronome, the track is counted in 11/4 — preserving its spontaneous, slightly unsteady character.

Closing track “Sunder” is the EP’s most minimalist moment. After repeatedly trying to add more layers, Reifier realised it needed nothing else. Inspired by stories of having everything yet continuing to search sometimes at the cost of losing it all, the track embraces restraint. Its unconventional solo emerged accidentally from a glitch while using the Push 3’s MPE functionality; instead of correcting it, the “bug” became the foundation of the sound.

That instinct to lean into process, to treat accidents as collaborators defines Reifier’s wider practice. Raised in an artistic family in Mexico, Daniela trained in voice at the National School of Music (UNAM) before building a professional career in theatre as a composer, musical director and performer. Her work has been presented internationally, including at La MaMa ETC in New York, and she has collaborated with artists such as Adan Jodorowsky and Juan Moreno. She was also a core member of the band Béke and was selected as a OneBeat Fellow in 2023, an experience that further shaped her interdisciplinary and global approach.

Now working between London and Mexico City, Reifier also co-runs a Mexico City–based studio prioritising safe, collaborative spaces for women and LGBTQI+ artists, a value system that mirrors the care embedded in her music.

On stage, that multidisciplinary approach becomes fully immersive. Reifier has performed at Axe Ceremonia in Mexico City and at London events including GearFest at Tileyard and the London Synth & Pedal Expo, sharing festival programmes alongside artists such as Tyler, The Creator, Massive Attack and Charli XCX. Each appearance merges composition, performance and sound design into something cinematic yet intimate.

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Stream Reifier’s New EP, The Unfolding

Photography by Soledad Violeta

Written by Angel Joanne Okonkwo