Tagged By duo

LISTEN: Pleasure Symbols – ‘Ultraviolence’

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Pleasure Symbols

‘Ultra Violence’, the first thing we’ve heard from Brisbane duo Pleasure Symbols is one of those tracks that immediately creates a video montage in your head. When I listen to this I see myself better looking, better dressed and more badass, smoking cigs and stalking the streets like a goddamn killer. This song makes me want to be a worse person, in the best way possible.

‘Ultra Violence’ is all cold bass, synth and drum machine. Vocals are monotone and dark, crushed under the malevolent buzz, only lightened slightly when the mildly hysterical treble-y synth comes in at the end, still spiralling you into the abyss. Definitely wanna hear more of this (well, what they’re calling) ‘coldwave’ business.

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INTRODUCING: Twin Caverns

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twin caverns

Too bad I love easy/sleazy listening. I cultivated this when Portishead was apparently a thing, when torrenting Ministry of Sound’s ‘Chillout Sessions’ catalogue was a thing and more recently when someone ousted me for listening to Sade’s greatest hits after leaving my Spotify on public.

Anyway, new Sydney duo Twin Caverns (Louise Millar and Michael Macias) recently did nice things to my ears and feelings. The pair draw similar parallels to other beat/vocal heavy duos like Alta and Audego – and more recently, every internet person’s rework of that Japanese Wallpaper x Wafia tune. Millar isn’t related to fellow Sydney vocal cameo star Nicole Millar, although the two do share an affinity for making a soundtrack for pool days and vanilla coated vocals.

Twin Caverns recently released their second single ‘Undiscover’. Similar to previous track ‘Swell’, the duo lean towards a more simple equation. That incandescent treble guitar line that starts the track off leaves Millar’s vocal refrain hanging from the ceiling. Thankful that this is probably one of the few decent duos that aren’t milking the drop vocal effect or the Flume formula which makes every downbeat sound like it’s being wrung through the ass end of a Microsoft vocoder. Twin Caverns need to give themselves a big midi hi-five here. Slick composition x thoughtful chords work perfectly together. This needs to happen IRL.

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