by MacKenzie Wilson
Sonja Rozenblum and Idan Kartuchi formed the darkwave unit Sophya in the late '90s, for both were quite well-known in their music scene in their native Israel. Rozenblum, who was already a vocal starlet, met record shop employee and goth-industrial DJ Kartuchi when he was working on a side project called Manic Depression alongside future bassist Shai Ledder. The trio hooked up instantly, signing on Eliad V. to play keyboards and Hagi S. to play drums and Sophya was born. Their 2000 debut for Metropolis, The Age of Sophya captured Rozenblum's deep harmonies and the band's gothic aesthetics.