Maria-Carmela Raso is a Reykjavík-based composer, vocalist, curator, and electronic musician. Though most of her time is spent in Iceland, she was planted in Toronto for many years and still has roots in the city and music community. As a musician, Maria-Carmela has worked as a performer, improviser, and soloist with the likes of Tanya Tagaq and the Element Choir. She recently recorded vocals with Herdís Stefánsdóttir and Kjartan Hólm for the Icelandic TV show Verbúðin (Blackport). Her sound artworks have been performed in Reykjavík, Poland, Canada, France, the Czech Republic and more.
Since moving to Iceland, she has been involved extensively with the music and art community, from record label Bedroom Community to experimental art/music venue Mengi, DIY all ages music venue R6013 to underground music collective Post-Dreifing. Maria-Carmela is also a productive inter-arts curator and tastemaker, having created and managed a long-running music series in Reykjavík called “Can’t think just feel,” as well as several multidisciplinary exhibitions.
Maria-Carmela’s solo project MSEA has been described as nightmare pop, ethereal and moody with hints of Julee Cruise and a more demented Anohni. MSEA was selected as a 2023 participant of Keychange, a global network and movement working towards gender equality in the music industry, as well as one of 12 selected for the Nordic Lights program. Her album Our Daily Apocalypse Walk was released in September 2023.