London-based psych-pop duo 88/89 work through their mutual musical affections with a particularly compelling ease. Finding a perfect equilibrium between vivid synth-pop melodies and dense psych-rock rhythms, they build and sustain expansive soundscapes upon which they lay bare their own sentimental natures, as well as the noise which soundtracks these emotional impulses.
Jack and Michael first met when they were both starting over — Jack had just left Sissy & the Blisters while Michael had drifted away from his acting career. Jack just so happened to play some of his own music for Michael in the car one day, and their musical partnership only grew in strength from then on. After trading stories about their favorite bands and the various ways they each approached music, they learned that they both processed sounds differently but were still discovering a communal melodic spirit that bound their histories together. Shortly thereafter, they moved in together and inducted some honorary band members, namely Jet (a King Charles Cavalier) and Randall (a Border Terrier).
Lately, they’ve been working on their debut EP, which will find release sometime in the near future. But for now, they shared their debut single, “The Man,” a washed-out psych ramble that calls to mind the work of Tame Impala or MGMT. Mixed by Tim Rowkins (Maribou State, Mura Masa, Rina Sawayama) and mastered by Kevin Tuffy at Alchemy Mastering, the track ripples and shakes with a euphoric pop verve, a buoyant tenacity that easily bridges genres and experiences.
For the accompanying video, the band turned to director Selen Heinz and producer Atalanta Maas, and the result in a kaleidoscopic and surreal collection of images and movements which expertly navigates the music’s volatile emotions. Beautiful and wild, it stands as the perfect backdrop for the song.
“Like all of our songs, ‘The Man’ was an organic process,” Jack and Michael reveal. “It’s all written around the drums and the baseline then, towards the end, we were like – “lets make it sound like Dead or Alive and New Order!”. Lyrically we wanted to write something empowering and uplifting. The song isn’t about anyone in particular; it’s about all of the people who have helped us become the people we are today.”
Connect with 88/89 on Instagram and pre-save “The Man” here.
