APRIL AFTERNOON vs CHRONIC DREAM

Weekend and Friday soon so let us do some updates on the blog. Some music from Netherlands and USA now. 

Pressrelease: 

Amsterdam-based synth-pop artist April Afternoon is releasing a new single with Los Angeles-based darkwave producer Chronic Dream. 

"Grimace", which came out on 1 October, is a dark pop track about compulsive behaviour. Checking whether the door is actually locked, tics; the world of compulsive behaviours is full of challenges. That’s what April Afternoon and Chronic Dream’s new single ‘Grimace’ is about. Inspired by the groundbreaking film I Swear, ‘Grimace’ explores the world of tics and their social consequences. The message: nobody is ‘normal’; you can just be yourself. 

"Grimace" marks the third collaboration between Chronic Dream (David Burgess) from LA and April Afternoon (Jelmer Luimstra) from Amsterdam. Just like it´s predecessor ‘Wide Awake’, ‘Grimace’ is a dark pop track, featuring plenty of synthesisers, angular drum machines and catchy vocals. In the background, echoes of both Gorillaz and Public Image Limited can be heard. Darkwave producer James K Ultra (Pain in the Yeahs) from Virginia is once again at the controls as mixer. 

The collaboration between the three musicians is quite remarkable. Without ever having met in person – so far – the three work with total dedication on their tracks. This spring, Chronic Dream came up with the basic track for ‘Grimace’, which was then refined by Ultra. April Afternoon then recorded the vocals at the Amsterdam studio of Raggende Manne founder Thijs de Melker. Once that was done, Ultra began the mixing process. Three, perhaps even four versions later, the final product was ready. 

The artwork for ‘Grimace’ is also special. The photo on the cover was taken by none other than the famous punk photographer Edward Colver, a friend of Chronic Dream. Ultra and Chronic Dream designed the rest of the artwork, which has a distinctly Japanese feel. 

Their previous single, ‘Wide Awake’, reached number 813 in the Snob 2000 chart last year. 

Chronic Dream @ FACEBOOK 

April Afternoon @ BANDCAMP 

Supported by Electric Cafe & Muzik Mag Sweden

 

DJ Thessla