The keen reader might remember Australian-American duo Yulan & Blaise for a feature we published just over a year ago, praising ‘Falling 花火落’ as “a liminal, evocative piece”. The track was then followed by the like-minded ‘Quench’. Since then, silence… until recently, that is. Yulan Jack and Blaise Garza are back with their latest effort and a brand new artistic vision, ‘Growing Pains’.
From a sonic standpoint, the new track breaks with its predecessors, swapping ethereal and dreamy tones for club-oriented electronica. ‘Growing Pains’ finds a new creative direction in techno-flavoured arpeggiators, dry synths, and an unrelenting, kinetic dance beat. Yulan’s vocals are delivered in spoken word fashion, all wrapped in a fuzzy sheen that makes them quite hypnotic and hard-hitting. The addition of a bamboo Chinese xūn, as well as the tubax and bass saxophone, gives the record a deeply eclectic character.
Delving deeper into the lyrical ethos that propels the single, Yulan explains: “It’s about the irony of still having growing pains even as an adult. Offering yourself and your spiralling thoughts to the sea. It was a lullaby-like voice note that evolved into a dance track. We felt a pull to move more this year, to not let life calcify us. We all need more play and chaotic release.” We are excited to see where they go next!
Recommended! Discover ‘Growing Pains’ now: