On February 17, London Electronic Pop three-piece Years & Years drop their sophomore single, the slow-burning, groovesome “Real”, via much-lauded indie dance imprint Kitsuné. Co-produced by Andy Smith, the release also features self-produced B-side “Eyes Shut”, a more somber take on the band’s sound, written in the coastal countryside of East Sussex from a tiny beach house. Today, the band is excited to release the video for “Real” featuring actors Ben Whishaw and Tuppence Middleton.
Frontman and keyboardist Olly Alexander comes from a classicist musical upbringing, drawing upon iconic figures such as Joni Mitchell and Jeff Buckley, via the surrealist imagery of David Lynch and the dirty realism of Raymond Carver. The former qualities aided in their realization by Alexander’s soulful voice, described by Disorder as
It’s as if Nina Simone is crooning a melodic lullaby to the folktronic lovechild of Beach House and Terry Riley.
That’s not to say the group is a one-man affair though; it’s down to Years & Years’ two other members – bassist Mikey Goldsworthy and synth player / beat-maker Emre Turkmen – to truly bring the tracks to brilliant life. Using an idiosyncratic process that takes Alexander’s timeless songwriting and updates it with a love of cutting-edge Electronic music and R&B (think FKA twigs, SOHN, Jai Paul) that is then finished off with a final collaborative output.
“Real” will be released on February 17 via Kitsuné, alongside b-side, “Eyes Shut” and remixes from Le Marquis, Tobtok and J.A.C.K.
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