A beguiling aura
Iceland’s brightest new pop act Heidrunna and Metronomy’s Michael Lovett (NZCA LINES) unveil eccentric new remix for the current single, ‘Borderline’, out via Absolute Label Services.
Showcasing Heidrunna’s whimsical vocals to great effect, the synthetic ‘Borderline’ is a bouncy, harmonious utopia that promises to send you into a synthesized frenzy. Here we find Heidrunna wrapped around moments of indecision and finding herself on the “borderline” of romance: “Every time you say you love me / I’m on the borderline / I know I shouldn’t waste your time / It’s hard enough to find love / How could I think living with you would mean no more pain, and sorrow.”
Commanding listeners to twirl around the ferocious synth-teemed soundscape of ‘Borderline’ is a multi-instrumentalist and touring member of Metronomy, Michael Lovett, in his solo project NZCA LINES.
Having played on Christine and the Queens’ debut album, he’s also shared band members with Hot Chip and up until now has remixed Metronomy, Everything Everything, Au Revoir Simone and Selah Sue. Django Django remixed one of his songs.
NZCA LINES’ buoyant take on ‘Borderline’ alters the already dynamic soundscape of the original track, presenting Heidrunna in a decompressed and glacial light.
Heidrunna: “A friend of mine was going through a hard time in a relationship and didn’t know how to let go. Borderline is about that feeling when you need to do the right thing and have a clean break, even though you know it’s fucked up and that’s the best option for you but you just can’t see the wood from the trees.”
The accompanying visuals for the track exhibit Heidrunna’s imaginative aesthetic; one that’s been showcased throughout all of her musical creations thus far. With a voice so effortless she makes it look easy, Reykjavik’s Heidrunna’s delicately nuanced tone has perfected itself through her time being a member of an Icelandic girl choir, before inherently moving further into the spotlight and becoming the lead vocalist in native pop troubadours, Cigarette.
The beguiling aura of Heidrunna is reminiscent of artists such as Nina Persson, Vanessa Paradis and Charlotte Gainsburg – all of who treat their voices as instruments. Heidrunna’s debut album – ‘Melodramatic’ is coming out in early 2022, onboard for production is Liam Howe whose portfolio includes the likes of Lana Del Rey, MARINA, FKA twigs and Ellie Goulding. With ‘Melodramatic’, he and Heidrunna have rewritten the guidebook, conjuring up the kind of impenetrably-authentic ‘80s backdrop that you’d be hard pushed to pick out in a line-up of the finest electronic albums of an era it presumably seeks to emulate and acknowledge in equal measure.
Heidrunna’s personal influences include post-punk ‘80s artists like Blondie, pioneering synth-based techno-crafters, Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder, but also the style and romanticism of French artists like Serge Gainsburg, Daft Punk, Air and Phoenix.
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