ListenUp
A music video that knows no gender to new danceable tracks from Grimes, Young Fathers, Kero Kero Bonito and more
Grimes: REALiTi
This week, Grimes shared the previously unheard track “REALiTi,” complete with a music video shot on location, traversing Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo and elsewhere. What’s unbelievable is that it was a demo recorded in early 2013 for an album that was later scrapped because Grimes wasn’t satisfied with the material. Though it’s not mixed, mastered nor even finished, “REALiTi” sounds more than radio-ready: lush, infectious and showing off a softer side of Grimes, making us mourn the fate of that “lost album.”
James Place: Sadie’s Tears
In his debut album Living On Superstition, NYC native Phil Tortoroli (under the alter ego James Place) reflects upon his self-ambiguity and anxious demons after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend and quitting his full-time corporate gig. The music video for “Sadie’s Tears” features Tortoroli’s father, haunted by a “specter of anxiety.” The instrumental track manages to paradoxically tranquilize and stimulate at the same time, and comes to an end much too soon.
Young Fathers: Shame
Though categorized as alternative hip-hop, Edinburgh-based Young Father’s eclectic sound spans garage rock, grime and dance music. Danceable yet layered and complex, their latest single “Shame” calls to mind the energy of early TV on the Radio.
Kero Kero Bonito: Picture This
London-based based trio Kero Kero Bonito know how to get listeners dancing regardless of what country they’re from, with vocalist Sarah half-rapping in English and Japanese over colorful beats peppered with video game-like samples. Their newest track “Picture This” pokes fun at the act of taking pictures and the culture of over-sharing, and as expected, is supremely danceable.
Dev Hynes + Neneh Cherry: He, She, Me
A new video supporting the multi-talented Dev Hynes and Neneh Cherry’s new collaborative track “He, She, Me” strikes an ever-relevant cultural note: increase awareness of transgender identity. With magnificent choreography set to the dazzling, oftentimes soothing, track and the inspired lead casting choice of the actress Hari Nef, the Kathryn Ferguson-directed video is as beautiful as it is important.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
