Lou’ana – Disco Witch (So Below) 13th Floor Album Review

There is magic in the air and on the floor. With her second album, Disco Witch, Lou’ana takes listeners on a soulful, sparkly journey through inner worlds and outer rhythms. Divided into two parts, SO BELOW and AS ABOVE, the album is a cosmic invitation to move, reflect, and revel.

The Side B, SO BELOW, is released in June and offers five lush, groove-laden tracks that lean into embodiment, instinct, and the feminine mystic. The Side A of the package, AS ABOVE, completes the story in October and is packed with retro 1970s flair and joy. Together, they blend grounded self exploration with disco fuelled euphoria.

The album is self-produced by Lou’ana, bringing her vision to life with remarkable clarity. She is joined by a band of seasoned collaborators and new creative partners who deliver tight, expressive performances. Long-time bandmate Nathan Judd, co-writer and co-producer, contributes both bass and drums across the record, shaping the sound’s dynamic range. Windon Bradfield brings shimmering, funky colour on electric guitar, while Nick Jones adds subtle drama with sweeping violin lines. Daniel Waterson holds it all together with sharp, driving percussion. It is a band perfectly in sync with the album’s themes of movement, mystery, and release.

Throughout the album, there is an unmistakable homage to the golden age of disco. The guitar work channels the spirit of Nile Rodgers, with syncopated riffs that shimmer and drive. Lou’ana’s vocals, layered with warmth and intent, often evoke the harmonies of Sister Sledge, giving the songs a luxurious, celebratory quality. Yet this is no exercise in nostalgia. Lou’ana builds on that legacy with originality, purpose, and fire.

SO BELOW opens with My World, a cinematic slow-burner that builds from dark, mysterious guitars and keys into a swelling disco anthem. The beat drives forward, and Lou’ana’s soaring, emotionally charged vocals make the song a powerful opener. She hits high notes with ease, then drops back to near-whisper, letting the rhythm carry the song home.

With staccato guitars and Motown sass, Disco Coven is an unapologetic floor-filler. The lyrics are playful and potent; “pick up the Goddess damn phone”, is a rallying call to sisterhood, power, and high-heeled rebellion. It is followed by Night Creature, an upbeat, pulsating track full of motion and urgency, its drama unfolding through rattling snares, swirling strings, and expressive vocals.

The Disco Witch Remix of Gravitate leans into layered textures, with boom-clap rhythms giving way to atmospheric breakdowns. Vocals glide through shifting dynamics, swelling and fading like waves. Aphrodite, the closing track on this side, is a hypnotic, fast-paced tribute to the goddess within. Lines like “Come and awaken a part of yourself that you want to know” underscore the album’s message of self-trust and transformation, delivered with breathless energy and poise.

To come in October is AS ABOVE, the album’s unreleased but completed Side A. Where SO BELOW was the descent into instinct and reflection, AS ABOVE is the joyful emergence into light. With this reverse release structure, the album mirrors our seasons: just as listeners have danced their way out of the depths of winter with Side B, they will be lifted into the warmth and sparkle of summer by Side A.

Disco Witch, the title track, opens AS ABOVE and stretches past the seven-minute mark as Lou’ana locks into a hypnotic groove of deep bass and whispered vocals that swagger and evolve. It’s the album in microcosm. Heartbeat, the shortest track on the album, is pure dancefloor bliss. Clean guitar lines, sharp drums, and vocals that echo each phrase build a taut, energetic groove. Disco Heart follows with a swinging rhythm and brass-soaked chorus that keeps the celebration going.

There is a flash of Studio 54 sparkle in Rosebery Ave, where looping guitar lines and chanted vocals create the feel of a glitter-drenched disco ritual.

 Finally, Supernova is more restrained and full of yearning. Strings and rapid-fire vocals build a tension that never quite resolves, offering a graceful, poetic pause.

Throughout DISCO WITCH, Lou’ana proves herself a dazzling vocalist, a confident writer, and an assertive bandleader. She understands that disco is both ritual and release, and that movement can meet meaning. These songs are impeccably played, lushly produced, and bursting with joy. Whether you are below in the shadows or above in mirrorball light, this album lets you can dance through it all.

John Bradbury

Side B: SO BELOW is out Now – Full album (including Side A: AS ABOVE) due October 31, 2025

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John Bradbury
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