Originally Published on March 2nd, 2026

ELLY KACE

I don’t think I have ever felt anything more conflicting than the concept of the human spirit. My parents focused my upbringing on the foundational cornerstones of religious faith, education and wisdom, and the arts. When I was a child and into my youth and early adulthood , faith and wisdom were synonymous. In fact, I thought those who were without faith were without wisdom. It wasn’t until I learned to stop regurgitating cliche and I sought to learn more about religion that I discovered the existing holes in my own faith. The more I found myself aligning with science and logic, the more I felt distance from my faith and human “spirituality.” I began to dismiss spiritual substance as mere chemical reactions within our bodies.

I am an atheist. I don’t believe there is a bearded man floating on a cloud somewhere in the heavens. I recognize that we were created, but I have no idea if that creation was by intelligence or if it was a rational fluke existing within the cosmos. The uncertainty suggests a more agnosticism to my beliefs, but I am still mostly dismissive to the idea of faith and I will not endorse religion in any way.

When I think about all of this, however, I feel something pulling me: doubt.

That pull can simply be how effectively I was indoctrinated into religion when I was younger. Or, it could be my spirit. I’ve experienced moments in my life I can’t explain. What some would identify as “supernatural.” I like to dismiss these moments most of the time. But I question them.

I admire people who are in touch with spirituality. I admire Elly Kace. Their earnestness at how they approach their art, their health, and their life is enough to want to abandon the spirituality debate altogether as pointless.

Kace, an independent musician currently residing in Brooklyn, NY, originally from Chicago, is a singer, songwriter, sound healing mystic, and yoga instructor. A classical student, Kace discovered international acclaim as a classical and opera soprano, performing as Elyse Anne Kakacek. With two released album, she garnered praise from publications such as Opera News, Operawire, The Rehearsal Studio, and has been featured on radio stations across the country like WFMT Chicago, andWCNY Classic FM’s Feminine Fusion.

Elly Kace, blends the inspired sound from their classical training with their mantra of sound healing through the study of vibrations. This hybrid musical expression is a form of music Kace has dubbed “baroque pop,” and can be compared to artists like Laufey, Delerium, Björk, and others as they blend genres like jazz, roots, new age, and others with their own unique compositions.

Kace debuted in 2021 with the release of their debut album, Nothing I See Means Anything. It was followed with the acclaimed album, Object Permanence, which contained extraordinary songs like Disappear, Forgot my Name, and the sensational cover of Wild Horses.

In 2024, Kace submitted their EP, if i ask enough could you love me to Fifteen Minutes of Fame for review. I was completely moved by this extraordinary work. The way the project was described, the thought and meaning behind all of it. It was truly some of the best music I had ever heard. After giving my analysis, i continued to follow Kace’s career as they toured and began work on what would be their third LP.

09. Single Review of Prelude (I Did My Best)

In the summer of 2025, Kace reached out again to let me know that their album was finished and detailed a release cycle leading up to the final release of the full length album. I knew that, in order to convey how extraordinary this album would be, I wanted to do something big to celebrate it.

Part One

I released the part one article in August of 2025, after the release of her single The Body. In addition to a review of the released music to date, part one features an interview with Kace that discusses their approach to making music and how vibrations play a vital role in our makeup.

170. Special Feature Album Review of Seventh Gate by Elly Kace

Part Two

The second segment installment of my review of Kace’s album was published in November and consisted of a live video analysis of the music as I try to dissect everything that is happening musically throughout the first 7 songs of the album.

212. Album Review of Seventh Gate by Elly Kace: Special Feature, Part Two

The Seventh Gate

Now, truth be told, I had planned to do a 3rd part leading up to this final review of The Seventh Gate where I was hoping to do my version of a sound healing session (I have no idea what that entails, and that was kind of going to be the point). The idea is I would take Kace’s music and do a virtual session with anyone interested to listen to the album and share our healing journeys while also implementing stretches, and beginner’s yoga to fuse the music with the body. I had this idea that this was Kace’s vision for how her music can leave an imprint on those of us who listen to it.

Tragically, I could never fully realize this idea. I’m human, like the rest of the 8 billion people on this planet. We all experience self-doubt. We all experience burnout. We all experience obstacles. It seemed like everything else got in the way of me accomplishing this goal.

This is why the world needs Elly Kace.

The Seventh Gate released today, March 3rd. Itis 10 songs. It’s 40 minutes. It features layers and layers of vocals performed by Kace who is accompanied by a group of extraordinary musicians who feature an array of different instruments. Drums, upright bass and bass guitar, electric guitar, violins, violas, cellos, horns, pianos, organs, synths, chimes, bowls, and I’m sure there are more. But more than that, it is the channel to all of the things I was describing above. It is a network that links our thoughts to our feelings. Our bodies to our souls.

Elly Kace has made an obsession of the idea of finding healing properties in vibrations; vibrant tones, vibrant rhythms. How the right pitch can pierce us. How the right rhythm can move us. The Seventh Gate takes the listeners on a journey through Kace’s thoughts as they identify elements that soothe, supernatural presences that linger; making us feel both safe and frightened, and how our body can effect us, therefore we must take care of our bodies. Kace brings color into light, identifying moods with pinks, and blues. They identify our soul’s draw to light and to dark and how those attractions differ.

This album isn’t a listening experience. It isn’t just a listening experience. It is a”spiritual” one as well. I talked at length about how I don’t know how I feel about spirits and souls. I am a skeptic in that regard, but I do identify correlations. There is something methodical, something scientific to the concept of healing sounds and vibrations. I also can’t dismiss the notion of something linking us. It may not be so sensational as an all knowing Deity who governs us from their pedestal. It may not be so crude as the weird, wormy ponytails from the Avatar movies where all beings are capable of forming a hard, fiber optic link to one another. But is there something that connects us?

Maybe.

There is a solid argument for sound. For vibration.

The Seventh Gate moves me. It is a moving album. I feel these songs in my core. The sounds control my breathing. They clear my vision. They quiet my thoughts. I can even feel my heart beat sync with their tempos. Is that scientific? No. Is it in my head? It could be. Is it effective? One hundred percent. Absolutely.

Elly Kace is an intriguing human being. Their passion is unrivaled. There is an extraordinary calm about them. They are effortlessly eccentric, in a way that proves they’re not simply trying to be just to be interesting. They are genuine. This all comes out in the music. One doesn’t listen to this music and say, “Oh, that’s a lovely song.” Exposure is an eye-opening experience.

Of course, we have to be open to that. That’s the challenge I issue to anyone who would listen. Be open to experiencing this music. The effect will be a lasting one.

Breathe. Feel your heart beating, slowing to a calm, steady pace. Feel the air on your skin. Let your thoughts slowly melt away into the back of your mind until you hear the quiet.

Then go press play.