A new single release from The Safety Word and Valoramous brings an ethereal and mysterious feeling synth-pop sound that lines the deepening skyline with neon purples and blues as textures float through the songs ether and wrap around you.
"Amnesia" is a spacious and ambient single that features a series of vocal harmonies and classic beats that are laced with perfectly nostalgic synths and keys that help the whole track feel genuinely retro in its own right.
The track boasts a vibrant undertone and a refreshingly crisp but still somewhat edgy character and attitude but has this heavy-handed pop approach that works so well it's ridiculous.
You find yourself just swimming in this tracks atmosphere and it feels great.
This has such a cool and slightly dark touch to it that sort of sneaks up on you and peeks its head out here and there.
"Amnesia" has a number of killer remixes as well that all have their own thing going on and breed a fresh feel and take on the track, but our top version is actually the original version which just has this bit of magic that really shows face more.
This was a great single and lets the collaboration shine the way it should.
With the release of such a perfect summer banger, we wanted to have a chat with The Safety Word to find out where this all came from.
Here's what happened.
RAG: Okay so let's start with "Amnesia". The track has such a warm and cinematic atmosphere to it! Where did this single come from? Simon : This single is a collaboration with US based EDM artist Valoramous. I meet Valoramous through our Instagram page and we bonded over our mutual love of electronic music production. He proposed the idea of doing a colab with us and sent us three tracks that he was working on. Two of these were EDM/Synthpop and a darker weirder hip-hop styled track that was meant for an MC collaboration. We chose this third option as we could instantly hear how we could put a Safety Word spin on it. John: It was one of those meant to be songs. We had some initial setbacks as our studio sessions kept getting canceled or postponed for various reasons. I remember we were running out of time to make the deadline so we pretty much had one solid session to get the track down. In the end the pressure of the timeframe made it all come together in a magical way.
RAG: I'm hearing some great styles on this release. Who are some of your biggest musical influences? Simon : I love searching for new music and adding them to our curated Spotify playlist called “Atmospheric Synth Pop”. There’s just so much incredible music coming out all the time and I love to update it regularly. I grew up on a diet of Boards of Canada, Primal Scream, Air, Mogwai, Massive Attack and Gary Numan. Some of the bands that were quite influential when I first started creating music were The Presets, Midnight Juggernaughts, Ladytron and Cut Copy. Nothing pleases me more than discovering new music. Some of the newer bands I’m really digging are Bob Moses, Cub Sport, Boo Seeka, Crooked Colors, The Midnight and Rüfüs Du Sol. John: There are too many influences that have been through our lives, I would say life and experiences within life which have formed the current perception in which I’m viewing the world at the moment. Some of my influences are incredible artists such as Alicks, Washed Out, Harry styles, Radiohead, Shyloh Dynasty, Richard Ashcroft, Suicide, Collar, Puzzle and Luke Steele!
RAG: So how did this all begin for you really? When did you fall in love with making music? Simon :
I fell in love with making music when I was on work experience at a theater company. There wasn’t a lot to do there but one of the actors had an old guitar laying around and he offered to teach me a few chords. He sent me home with the guitar to practice over the weekend and played those three chords till my fingers bled. He decided I could keep this busted up old guitar as it was now covered in my blood and he said he could tell I had the passion for it. The rest they say is…history! John: From childhood, listening to artists like Prince, Micheal Jackson, my Farther was also a songwriter and a musician at one point, then being introduced to punk etc
RAG: How many different remixes are there for this single? Simon : 1. Amnesia (Original Version) - 2. Amnesia (3 Tribes Remix) – Melodic Tech House 3. Amnesia (Valoramous Festival Mix) EDM/Festival 4. Amnesia (Robodop Snei Remix) [Radio Edit] Progressive House 5. Amnesia (Increment Remix) – electronic/glitch 6. Amnesia (Eckul Remix) – Deep House 7. Amnesia (The Wav A.P.S. Remix) – metal/rock
RAG: What's next for you as an artist?
Simon : We are on a mission to release new music every five weeks. Our next release is a single called “True Will” which is dropping on the 3rd of JUNE. It’s quite a different track for us. It’s got a strong alternative R & B vibe with undertones of reggaeton. Longer term we are releasing a full length album at the end of the year.
John :
We currently release one new song or songs every 5 weeks, the next release is a personal favourite and something different to our previous works, it’s called True Will.
RAG: What inspires you to write a song?
Simon:
Inspiration is all around us in everyday life. It can be the way the light hits the curtains and cascades across the floor creating a beautiful pattern. It can be certain places, objects or smells that make me nostalgic for a certain period of time. I’ve always got my creative senses ready to seize the moment and turn it into song.
John:
Life, what I’m experiencing and feeling at the time, my thoughts, I guess the song comes out naturally so it always feels like I need to be constantly creating music, so I guess a Demiurge.
RAG: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
Simon:
I work as a teacher in a school for kids with Autism which takes up a lot of my energy but is equally as rewarding. When not working on music I enjoy getting out and seeing local bands play or going for brunches with mates. I also enjoy getting outdoors and going on adventures on my bike with my whippet Devo!
John:
Working day jobs to make money to live and fund the music!
RAG: Who are you listening to right now? Simon :
Well literally right now I’m listening to Daniel Johns new album FutureNever which is quite a trip. Every song seems to be in a different genre but it’s a great listen as the song writing is sublime and it’s all tied together by his incredible voice. John:
I’ve been really digging this Australian duo called ‘Collar’. It’s dark brooding electronic music but with a lot of human emotion.
RAG: Are you doing live performances?
Simon:
We used to play very regularly but at the moment our focus is on writing and recording. It’s almost like there are two completely different head spaces and when you're thinking about a gig it can be hard to stay in that creative place. Our next live show is for Live Electronic Musicians of Melbourne on Sat 25th June at Red Betty’s (859a Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC)
RAG: This single seems like a big undertaking. What kind of advice might you have for other up and coming artists out there?
Simon:
The best advice I can give to other musicians out there is just be REAL. Do it because you love it and never be fake as people can spot it from a mile off and there’s nothing more off putting. The other best advice is to not compare yourself to others especially in your local scene as everyone’s journey is going to be different.
John:
Do not doubt yourself, really appreciate the fact that you are in a position to create and release music independently as no one can tell you what to do with your creativity. Also don’t be an imitator, be yourself and take the time to create something that you feel is truly special and that you would like to share with the world, basically do the opposite of your ego.
RAG: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Simon:
If you enjoy this single Amnesia then I invite you to check out our back catalogue as we have over seven hours of music released which includes singles, instrumental albums, remixes and of course collaborations. Also I invite you to come and find us on Instagram which is the platform where we are most active. We do a live stream every Tuesday at 7.30 pm AEST and seriously if you LOVE the music send us a message as we are the most approachable band in the world. I personally reply to every single message or comment that is sent to us. We want you to escape into our cocoon of blissful sounds, and be transformed.
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