BOO SEEKA ANNOUNCES HYPNOTIC NEW SINGLE ‘DREAM’
Aussie festival fave Boo Seeka has just dropped another perfect, sun-soaked new track, Dream, a song for escapists, for daydreamers, for those hoping, wishing for a different world, out today, December 2. Dream is a stunning return to Boo Seeka’s electro-pop roots, and follows the versatile artist’s most recent single, the affecting, melancholy, acoustic track Tripwire. Both singles are set to appear on the new Boo Seeka LP, scheduled for release in 2022. Boo Seeka will be hitting the road to play Byron Bay Beach Hotel, Queens Wharf Hotel Newcastle and Beyond The City in Melbourne through December, and will be jumping on the For The Love lineup that’ll take in Gold Coast, Wollongong, Melbourne and Perth in Feb and March 2022.
Dream sparkles, glistens; it demonstrates such a nuanced and impressive knowledge of pop songwriting paired with classic electronic production – Boo Seeka quite literally has it all. His soft, assured vocals offer hook after hook atop a sharp, shining bed of metallic beats. It’s easy to imagine this track going off at a summer festival, crowd heaving, moving in sync towards the drop. Speaking on the conception of the track, Boo reflects on some of his influences: “Given that the world is now stranger than it probably ever has been, indulging in the obscurities of life has been super important for my writing process. A world created by my imagination whilst sleeping is what inspired Dream, and was something that felt very easy to write down on paper. Also, I don’t usually listen to a lot of music when I’m creating, but for this song it was different. Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap was playing when I first started putting pen to paper, and I found myself putting the song on repeat while I wrote the whole track. This was the start of everything for this track.”
There certainly is a clear nod to Imogen Heap and her iconic production in Dream, but it also evokes the likes of James Blake, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Glass Animals, even fans of Tame Impala will find something to like in this beauty. It’s the kind of chill, hooky electro pop that feels universally appealing – irresistible, impossible not to tap your feet along to. It’s just another example of Boo Seeka’s uncanny ability to capture emotion – whether it’s an acoustic, guitar-driven song or a pumping electro hit, he hits the nail on the head every time. Reflecting on his own versatility, Boo says, “I love the fact that people can recognise a previous Boo Seeka track as soon as it’s being spun. However, I think the development of my songwriting has been exploring different ideas, different emotions that are created with different sounds. The diversity in the production of the record that is coming in 2022 is something we are really proud of, and can’t wait to share it.”
Lucky fans will be able to hear Dream live at Boo Seeka’s December shows in NSW, as Boo gives audiences a taste of what to expect from the tour: “Typical of a Boo show, there is a whole lot of energy on stage, and we just hope that we can provide the best time possible for people that pay their hard-earned money to be there. SHOWS ARE BACK!!! LET’S GO!!!”
Dream is out now on Disrupt Music Group.
RÜFÜS DU SOL COLLECT ARIA AWARDS FOR BEST GROUP AND BEST DANCE RELEASE NOMINATED FOR GRAMMY FOR BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC RECORDING
The extraordinary year marches on for RÜFÜS DU SOL who lastnight took home the ARIA awards for Best Group and Best Dance Release, with a performance of their song Alive (from their sold out Banc of California stadium show) broadcast as part of the awards ceremony. The Aussie electronic trio also this week picked up a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Recording for Alive, their third Grammy nomination in the last two years.
“We’re truly humbled to take out two ARIA’s amongst such great company in both categories – it means so much to us to be recognised at this level,” enthuses the band, “It’s such an exciting time for Australian music right now and to be a part of that community that’s translating overseas, it really means a lot to us. We can’t wait to come back home next year to play live for everyone.”
“And we’re incredibly grateful to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Alive. We wanted to lead with this song as our first new piece of music after the pandemic, as it felt like the right mix of melancholy and hopefulness that spoke to the shared experience of the past couple of years for us. We still get the same feeling when we play it live and see the crowd reactions. We’re eternally thankful for everyone who’s been a part of our journey thus far, particularly our co-producer Jason Evigan and mixing wizard Cassian for their role in this song.”
The ARIA wins and Grammy nomination cap off what has been an unprecedented year for RÜFÜS DU SOL – dropping their anticipated fourth studio album Surrender which debuted at the top of the ARIA charts last month, announcing their biggest home tour yet with Sydney and Melbourne shows selling out before tickets even had the chance to go on sale to the general public, performing On My Knees on Jimmy Kimmell Live!, headlining some of America’s biggest festivals Governors Ball (NYC), Austin City Limits, III Points Miami and Outside Lands San Francisco, and finishing up their extensive North American tour (which included 3 shows at LA’s Banc of California Stadium, performing to 70,000) last weekend.
Tickets to the Australian national tour are on sale now and are moving fast with the band selling out their Sydney and Melbourne shows, and announcing second shows in these markets. This tour will provide the only opportunity for fans to witness the phenomenon that is RÜFÜS DU SOL live in Australia in 2022 and will kick off at Brisbane Showgrounds on November 26, before taking in Sydney’s The Domain on December 2 and 3, Adelaide’s Ellis Park/Tampawardli on December 10 and Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse on December 15 and 16, before finishing up at Perth’s Langley Park on December 17. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix.
Tickets to the Surrender tour are on sale now BUY TICKETS HERE
Surrender is out now on Rose Avenue and Reprise / Warner Records STREAM / PURCHASE SURRENDER
NATIONAL SURRENDER TOUR
Presented by triple j
SAT 26 NOV | BRISBANE SHOWGROUNDS, BRISBANE, QLD | 18+
FRI 2 DEC | THE DOMAIN, SYDNEY, NSW | 18+ [SOLD OUT]
SAT 3 DEC | THE DOMAIN, SYDNEY, NSW | 18+ **NEW SHOW ADDED
SAT 10 DEC | ELLIS PARK / TAMPAWARDLI, ADELAIDE, SA | 18+
THU 15 DEC | FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE, MELBOURNE, VIC | 18+ [ SOLD OUT]
FRI 16 DEC | FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE, MELBOURNE, VIC | 18+ **NEW SHOW ADDED
SAT 17 DEC | LANGLEY PARK, PERTH, WA | 18+
MAL DE MER ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE DO YOU SEE ME?
Dynamic Perth six-piece Mal de Mer have today announced their glistening new single Do You See Me?, an eclectic, irresistible track that details the tough, dramatic reclaimation of personal power that occurs when a toxic relationship ends, out today, November 24. Mal de Mer have also announced a visually stunning lyric video to accompany the track, made in collaboration with photographer Mare Elzinga.
Do You See Me? is the result of a truly unique amalgamation of influences; evocative of everything from Camp Cope to Andy Shauf to BADBADNOTGOOD, in other words – it’s just Mal de Mer. Steady, funk-inspired bass lines sit harmoniously amongst sharp, vintage synths while lead vocalist Saskia Fleming’s distinctive voice confidently takes centre stage; handclaps and crisp drums drive the song forward – it’s a curious number, and the expert mesh of genres within this single is nothing new to this skilled group. Speaking on the inspiration behind Do You See Me?, Saskia explains, “The song came about when I was in a pretty dark headspace. At the time, I was trapped in an exhausting combination of deep sadness, and overwhelming anger. I’ll let the lyrics speak for themselves, but I hope the listener can feel those emotions wash over them as they flow through the song. When I finally plucked up the courage to show the band what I’d written I was blown away- everybody’s parts felt like essential pieces of the song that were meant to be there all along. It was like everything just clicked into place.”
The video for Do You See Me? is a quaint, child-like celebration of the formidable lyrics in this song. Nostalgic, colourful, crafty, and clever, the lyrics are built from small letter beads, all mismatched and topsy-turvy. Explaining the brilliant idea behind the video, Saskia says, “It’s a stop motion lyric video using beads, pastel felts, and glitter (among many other things!!). My housemate Freddie came home one day from Spotlight with a load of colourful beads, and made me a necklace with a lyric from this single on it. When I was given the necklace, it at first sparked the idea of doing a very limited run of merch in the form of jewelry for this track. That idea then snowballed into doing an entire stop motion lyric video using those beads. The concept is using colourful childlike craft supplies to create a clip that at first seems upbeat, and straightforward, but over the course of the track, gradually begins to reveal it to be a facade hiding the dark reality of what is going on beneath the surface. I worked on the concept with the amazing director Mare Elzinga, who took my basic idea and has brought it to life.”
Mal de Mer, a French maritime term for seasickness, is a band with an undeniable, unbreakable connection to the ocean. The band’s name is a part of family history for lead vocalist Saskia, as she explains, “My family has had a long history with water and the ocean – a captain, a swimmer, a pirate, a professor of maritime law, a sailor… so I guess naming the band was a way for me to feel like I was continuing that family history. Looking back on deciding the name now though, I think I may have just been tricked by my mum who strategically placed a thick book of nautical phrases and sayings in front of me when I was trying to name the band….”
Do You See Me? is out now.