Memphis LK fuses breakbeat with pop on “Letters in Concrete” [Video]
Memphis LK’s most recent single “Letters in Concrete” is an electronic pop anthem of hope that inspires wishful daydreaming amidst the chaos and uncertainty of the pandemic. Released via Dot Dash Recordings & Remote Control Records, the track builds up on the dreary anxieties of the last several months, paralleling the pain of separation with the concurrent possibilities for reconnection in a bid to remind us that nothing is permanent.
“Letters in Concrete” follows Memphis LK’s recent cover of Tame Impala’s “The Less I Know The Better” (mixed by Japanese Wallpaper) which reimagines the nostalgic banger through the up-tempo lens of club music. Furthermore, it follows her previous release from earlier this year “Green Light” whose scent foreshadows the producer and DJ’s inevitable dive into the miasmic collaboration between two-step garage and electro-pop.
“Letters in Concrete” does not shy away from these descriptive genre labels. In fact, in traditional electro-pop fashion, the track begins with an evocative introduction of shimmering synth pads and sonic artefacts in the form of raindrops and driving before Memphis’ iconic airy timbre punctures through the textured atmosphere. She trades the full and juicy trap-bass from her debut single “Roses” to a more low-key mid-bass that pushes the song along like a heart-beat. Her intimate and personal lyricism clearly identifies images of deficiency while presenting us with a counter-offer of hope. Clearly, Memphis is developing a greater sense of clarity in her sound after each track she makes, and “Letters in Concrete” is just the beginning of what is sure to be a blooming career. She comments on the intention behind her track:
“Letters in Concrete is about being away from someone or something you love, leaving you feeling lost and incomplete. It’s about seeking clarity and strength in the darkness and emptiness but being overcome with doubt and uncertainty that you have the strength to do it alone. I wanted to juxtapose the idea of rigid concrete with the idea that nothing is forever – life is always flowing and changing, and when we accept that, maybe we can become that little bit more free.”
In accordance with her words, if there is one message that carries the track, it would certainly be her lyrics “if there’s one thing that I know, it’s that nothing’s set in stone”. This message is exemplified by the accompanying music video filmed in Adelaide and directed and produced by Nima Nabili Rad. In the barren and desolate surroundings of the so-called Australian landscape, the video finds itself at the intersection between pop, underground dance and fashion.
2020 has been a blooming year for Memphis, seeing her perform at Pitch Music & Arts Festival and Loch Hart Music Festival while more recently being announced as one of the BIGSOUND50. Her spirits are yet to subdue in lockdown, as she toys further with all of the possible combinations between her influences of early soul, pop, R&B, UK garage, 2-step and breakbeat. One thing is for sure, Australian radio stations such as triple j have been forthcoming in championing the young and quirky artist: the rest of the world will surely soon follow.
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