Image by Marco Casino
If there’s one thing certain about London-based Italian producer Not Waving, it’s that they have come to reveal themselves as a master in sonic shapeshifting. From their earlier work which located itself between unrelenting dance pop and the dark throbs of EBM (see: 2017’s Good Luck) to their hypnotic ambient techno as part of the duo Walls, their style is a chameleonic dance across influences. Their latest offering, How To Leave Your Body, sees them fuse over 20 years of influences with expansive dream-pop experimentations. On lead single Hold On, Not Waving marries the droning ambience of Walls with melancholia soaked synth pop to formulate a downbeat trance leaning track. Featuring the unmistakable tête-à-tête of Marie Davidson, the result is a road trip full of romance and yearning.
Opening with bouncing, distorted chords akin to the broodiness of Cannons, Hold On captivates you as it unravels. Marie Davidson recounts teenage existentialism in her signature spoken text, arriving at a softly sung chorus exploding with shades of Italo disco synth. While the track’s observations at times feel a tad contrived (Davidson whispers, “Soft hair blowing in the wind, the light smell of smoke. No one knows who they are…”), it’s a sweet piece of 90’s nostalgia which takes the listener on a journey through bursts of joy and moments of quiet introspection.
Throughout is a distinct sense of storytelling which drives Hold On across its peaks and valleys, and makes Not Waving’s take on post-Lorde dream-pop charmingly captivating amidst a sea of similar sentiments.
Hold On is the first single taken from Not Waving’s latest album, How To Leave Your Body released last week via ECSTATIC. Listen and download here.
You can stream the music video for the single below:
Follow Not Waving:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud |
