A lost treasure, for now
When New York-based On!Air!Library! called it quits in 2005, twin sisters Claudia and Alejandra (Alley) Deheza split off into separate projects. Alley launched School of Seven Bells with Benjamin Curtis, and Claudia connected with Scott Herren, aka Prefuse 73. Initially, both couples were romantic partners as well as musical partners. Their personal relationships didn’t last, but the music remains. Claudia rejoined her sister in School of Seven Bells, staying until 2010. Benjamin and Alley continued as a duo until 2013, when Curtis passed away after battling cancer. Alley paid tribute to the songwriter/guitarist with the 2016 posthumous album SVIIB, closing the book on a fascinating band.
During their time together, Claudia sang on Scott Herren’s various projects, including the track “The Class of 73 Bells,” with Alley and Benjamin. Herren is a prolific musician and producer, with ties to hip-hop and electronic music. Of all the works Scott and Claudia produced, none is more mysterious than their full-length album Singular. Released under the moniker A Cloud Mireya, it’s a collaborative effort in both its creation and presentation. A true labor of love. In 2008, Herren explained Singular’s development to Hip Hop Core. “It’s pretty much like… we wake up in the morning and decide to make a song. We were not focused on the production, we were more like ‘let’s make pretty songs today’, things positive. It is what it is and it is going to remain there.”
Scott Herren has an extensive catalog of music on Bandcamp and other platforms, but Singular is, curiously, not to be found. It can only be heard on compact disc or through a handful of YouTube videos. Singular is the missing puzzle piece in these artist’s varied and inventive story.