With recent releases ‘HEY!!!’ and ‘TIP OF MY TONGUE’ garnering significant attention over the last few months, as well as being invited to perform at BIGSOUND 2019 and news of their Australian tour (which is wrapping up in Hobart this weekend), Melbourne duo Close Counters have finally delivered their highly anticipated second ep ‘REFRACTIONS’ through The Kite String Tangle’s record label, Exist Recordings.
‘REFRACTIONS’ highlights a major turning point in the lives of both Allan McConnell and Finn Rees, who both made the decision to relocate from Tasmania to Melbourne, which they feel exposed them to a whole new world of opportunities, and also served as an inspiration for the writing process for this new offering.
‘The songs were written over the last couple of years following our move from Hobart to Melbourne and was made possible with the help of a number of collaborators, including our live band members Elle Shimada, Lucky Pereira, Paul Bender (Hiatus Kaiyote) on bass, and featuring vocalists Laneous and Wallace.’ – Close Counters
Throughout the ‘REFRACTIONS’ EP, Close Counters further signify their mastery of blending various genres of music to create their own blend of insatiable and irresistible grooves through a polished combination of electronic and organic instrumentation, which is something that was pivotal in the creation of these new works.
‘We produce dance music that reinterprets styles of house, disco, funk and broken beat, adopting the spirit of Melbourne soul. The music reflects its origins: combining the instrumentation of a 70s funk rhythm section with modern production, dense layers of analogue synths, Latin percussion, and a flare of jazz harmony. Artists such as Detroit Swindle, Harvery Sutherland, Moodyman, Kaytranada, Motor City Drum Ensemble have inspired our latest work. The result is an infectious, uplifting array of dance tunes.’ – Close Counters
The focus single accompanying the ep, ‘BESPOKE’, takes you on a profound sonic journey full of vibrancy that is not only centred within the exuberant synths, but through the various twists and turns that showcase moments of robust synth bass, eclectic percussion and swooning elements that collectively will transport you into tranquillity.
‘We wrote “BESPOKE” with Wallace on a writing trip to Sydney in Dec 2018. The three of us started writing the song from scratch and had it finished in a matter of hours. We played with sampling orchestral works to create a brooding atmosphere. Wallace’s lyrics offer solace to a girl who is dealing with an unshakeable sense of loss and sadness.’ – Close Counters
‘REFRACTIONS’ is available everywhere now via Exist Recordings,
Stream:
https://fanlink.to/CloseCounters_RefractionsEP
Music Videos:
Tip of My Tongue:
https://youtu.be/gT1CxFuG3pQ
HEY!!!:
https://youtu.be/pN1b7-OJFzo
Artist Connect:
https://soundcloud.com/closecounters
https://www.facebook.com/closecounters/
https://twitter.com/closecounters
https://www.instagram.com/closecounters
Credits:
Mastering by Wayne Sunderland
Artwork & Press Photos by Jacob Collings
Artwork:
