Strange Souvenirs – Exit (2023)
Self-described as “shy, reclusive and low-key…toiling in the background”, duo Strange Souvenirs surround themselves with a misty haze of lo-fi synths expressing their dreamy personality. Yet, while there is a veil of synth-driven music, a ferocity lies beneath in the bold vocals and crash of drums in ‘Coma Cluster’. The brainchild of German brothers Thomas Juhnke (bass, guitar and synths) and Mattias Juhnke (guitar, synths and programming), Strange Souvenirs has captured the heart of audiences across the globe featuring on numerous publications, radio stations and playlists.
When we left Strange Souvenirs, review-wise at least, the pair filled us with a relaxed bittersweet feeling in the 2021 single ‘Beaches’. Two years later and three songs in, the pair join with musician Cameron James Laing on the single ‘Exit’. A regular collaborator as co-writer and multi-instrumentalist, Laing’s skills have been heard in ‘Coma Cluster’. Recorded and produced at Berlin’s The Famous Gold Watch Studio, Laing played the piano, six-string bass and composed the orchestral arrangement of ‘Exit’. Another figure joining the duo is Gidon Carmel on the drums.
Shifting from the rage of electropop meets alternative pop ‘Coma Cluster’ and the post-punk passion of ‘Slight Mod’, ‘Exit’ has the allure of soothing indie-pop wrapped in a classic soft rock haze. Led by Laing’s evocative piano, ‘Exit’ contains the light and dark side of a piano ballad. A heartfelt tenderness lifts your soul with the inspiring plink-plonk; however, a desperate vulnerability lurks beneath in a darker, poignant flip of the coin.
Completely contrary to previous material, Strange Souvenirs finds a sense of peace within the piano-led single twinkling about the edges with shimmering synths. A sliver of bass weaves through along a silvery thread making the melody rather minimalistic. Despite the simplicity of the barebones tune, it seems a kaleidoscopic cacophony of sound given the emotions rising from the instruments. Couple this with the soft, almost raw vocals and you have a song sending chills down your spine while filling you with a warm fuzzy feeling.
“’Exit’ was written 5 years ago in the fall during a time of life-altering events. Abrupt endings, new beginnings, depression and displacement into some previously uncharted emotional wilderness. Cold wind, falling leaves, low winter sun, seasonal affective disorder and heartbreak all rolled into one. ‘Exit’ is about regret and release, despair and delight, dancing shoulder to shoulder in darkness and light…” – Mattias Juhnke on ‘Exit’
Find out more about Strange Souvenirs on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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