Return to Sacred Sea home page

Version française clickez ICI

Sacred Sea - Artist interview

“iiwii” by Myrrh wa Saphira

iiwii (it is what it is) is a meditative project by experimental ambient-folk duo Myrrh wa Saphira. Born of intuitive improvisations, these four tracks are an ode to reverie and contemplative acceptance, a fairytale bubble gently woven between melodic guitar, enchanted flute, ethereal voices and intimate whispers. iiwii is an invitation to embrace the course of existence in its poetic and imperfect fluctuations.

Artwork by Sacha Bernardson

Sacred Sea 2025

To support the artists, buy the album HERE

How would you describe yourselves as artists?

Myrrh wa Saphira: We both exist at the intersection of multiple art practices—music, performance, writing, and more. Our approach blends art and care, not merely as a matter of aesthetics, but as a truly spiritual and political commitment. Music is a space that allows for intuitive and sensitive connection between beings, a place to let go, to accompany what the heart sometimes cannot express through words or gestures alone.

The Myrrh wa Saphira project was born from a desire to create immersive moments, sometimes akin to ritual, where each individual can surrender and find their place within the collective. It stems from a longing to reconnect with oneself in order to better engage with the world. Above all, it is rooted in sisterly love, deep respect, a shared yearning for freedom, a great deal of gentleness and laughter, and the vast space we offer each other to explore both our shared and individual creativity.

How was Myrrh wa Saphira born?

M w S: In the summer of 2021, Marion was invited to play an ambient set for an event at La Déviation in Marseille, and she asked Sarah to join her for a joint mix. We wanted to bring a more performative dimension to the moment and go beyond the traditional DJ set format by sharing texts and poems on the mic. The audience responded positively, and a few months later, we were invited to play at La Méta for an event organized by the Okvlt label. That’s when we created our first live set—and Myrrh wa Saphira was born.

From experimental ambient to ASMR and noise, the electroacoustic aspect of our project is now evolving toward more folk-inspired sounds. Sarah has returned to the piano and guitar, Marion has taken up singing again—we allow ourselves to switch roles, explore new creative methods, and share our tools and techniques. We’re constantly seeking to reveal unexpected melodies without ever limiting ourselves to a specific style or genre.

Myrrh wa Saphira is also a deeply valuable space of vulnerability and spirituality, where we share intimate parts of ourselves while inviting the audience to take part in an immersive ritual—always punctuated with touches of humor and absurdity. It’s a project we love deeply, one that reflects who we are and continues to grow alongside us.

What is your creative process like in general?

M w S: Our creative process often begins with very spontaneous improvisations. We usually start by experimenting with instruments we’re somewhat familiar with—Marion with vocals, Sarah more with guitar or piano—but we also enjoy switching roles and trying out new things. We jam freely until the different elements begin to converge and the magic happens—when we both recognize that a melody, a tune, or a harmony has emerged between us.

At that moment, we hit record so we don’t lose it. Later, we go back to those improvised discoveries and refine them with a bit more precision. That said, we always like to preserve the improvisational aspect in our tracks, whether we're recording them or performing live. It’s something we really value—this way of playing and responding to each other, through our instruments and voices, trying to recapture that magical moment.

As a result, our pieces are never quite the same—there are live versions and recorded ones—but that’s okay. They’re just different ways of listening.

What was the creative process behind this EP? In what spaces did it take shape?

M w S: iiwii is made up of four tracks that were born during our residency at La Friche Belle de Mai with AMI (Aide aux Musiques Innovatrices). At the time, we were working on our live show Le goût de la mer, which is now over two years old, and from which our first EP was recorded (though it still hasn’t been released). So sometimes, we just needed to create new music, in a very intuitive way, for the joy of it—just to play together without thinking about deadlines. These were like little breathing spaces that matched our present desires a lot more. And we thought: why not release something spontaneous, with less pressure than with Le goût de la mer?

So we brought together these four tracks with this idea of acceptance.

“It is what it is” is something Marion often says when we’re going through challenges or small life hurdles. You can’t control everything—you have to learn to let go. This phrase brings us comfort, it helps us keep moving forward. So it made sense to name the project this way, because it really comes from that spontaneous energy and the desire to quickly release the music that was on our hearts, without getting caught up in the long processes that are typical in the music industry. There’s this “let’s go!” energy—even if things aren’t perfect and we could spend hours tweaking details, sometimes you just have to let go so things can move forward and come out. Because sometimes it’s better done than perfect!

Can you tell us about each track and what they mean to you?

M w S: One of the tracks is also called iiwii (it is what it is). The first track, for Dianna, is a tribute to the artist Dianna Lopez, who is a big presence for us in many moments. For example, backstage just before our live set at the Jamais d’Eux Sans Toi festival, we were listening to long tracks by Dianna Lopez to ground ourselves and get in the right headspace. It helped us feel anchored. The last time we performed, Marion imagined her present on stage with us and thought, “Dianna, this one’s for you” (laughs). She’s truly one of our muses and inspirations—one of our guardians.

She posts very long guitar sessions on YouTube that allow you to fall into a deep state of relaxation. She inspires us with the simplicity of her compositions. Often it’s just electric guitar with some reverb, sometimes her voice, and some field recordings—sounds from nature. And that’s it. It’s very simple and it works so well.

That simplicity really influenced how we built this EP—accepting the idea of making something simple and repetitive that can be meditative. A lot of work also went into the mixing, to get close to a binaural effect, with vocals that pan from side to side. Ideally, it’s meant to be listened to with headphones, but even on stereo speakers you still get that sense of letting go.

The track counting my blessings is heavily influenced by ASMR and musique concrète. That’s something that featured less in our recent compositions because we were mostly improvising in the AMI studios during the residency. So there were fewer unexpected sounds in the environment—we had proper gear and instruments.

Whereas our first EP, Le goût de la mer, was mostly created in our bedrooms, where we could play with our surroundings—sounds of glasses, stones, plants, flowers—that was very inspiring. That kind of environmental playfulness was less present in the studio setup.

Sarah: But we still brought some small objects we love into the studio. Counting my blessings came from me playing with some glass beads in front of the mic. It felt like I was counting them, almost like saying a prayer with a rosary, twirling the beads between my fingers. That’s when the phrase “counting my blessings” came to mind—this practice of gratitude, of being thankful and recognizing what we have.

It’s something my family does a lot. We love each other so much, we often say how lucky we are—to be in good health, to get along, which isn’t the case for all families. We actively cultivate that gratitude. My mother, who is Moroccan, often says “Khamsa w khmiss.”

Khamsa means “five” in Arabic and also refers to the Hand of Fatima, which protects against the evil eye. W khmiss is added for the pleasure of rolling the phrase off the tongue. You say it when you realize something is good, to protect it from bad luck or envy.

That resonated with “counting my blessings”—the idea of counting, and also that “khamsa” is a number. Everything lined up, and that’s why there’s a counting of numbers in Arabic in the track—I wanted the word “khamsa” to be heard in there.

M w S: And the last track was originally titled “sirène au crépuscule” (siren at dusk). Later, we realized it was meant to be called “sylphide au crépuscule” (sylph at dusk). Sylphides are water spirits, airy beings, fairy-like creatures. They’re close to the water element, but also connected to the sky.

It made sense—this is the only track where we use a flute. It’s actually the first time we’ve ever used a flute in our project.

Sarah: I was given an incredible flute—its origin is unknown, but I imagine it comes from Latin America. It has a really deep sound. We pictured it as an echo in the distance, part of a landscape. That was the imagery it brought to mind.

Marion: It’s definitely a very magical, fairylike track. Sylphides are divine, magical spirits said to protect young girls bathing naked in rivers. They’re seen as protective fairies, but they can also play tricks on anyone who might want to harm those girls.