Photo courtesy of GroundislavaGroundislava’s instrumental pop compositions are nothing if not thoughtful. Last we heard from the WeDidIt member, né Jasper Patterson, the 25-year-old had just released his third LP Frozen Throne, a cyberpunk-trance hybrid that tells the story of a romance obscured by the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds. If that wasn’t conceptual enough, the record even came complete with an accompanying interactive video game for single “Girl Behind the Glass.” Its richly cinematic feel, and subsequent tracks like his remix of Tinashe’s “2 On,” marked a strong departure from Groundislava's blip-pop roots, and his latest output, “Flatline,” continues on that trajectory of escapism.The standalone single is among Patterson’s most mellow, nuanced tracks yet, less about crafting a world than a feeling. Distant, aching vocals from Swedish pop crooner Erik Hassle drive the track's spaced-out vibes home.“Stole the money, I got away / Put them all in the wishing well,” Hassle sings.Continues below…It’s a pensive tune that reveals more layers—both musically and emotionally speaking—with each listen, offering a glimpse of what fans can look forward to on the EP Groundislava is currently wrapping up for WeDidIt."'Flatline' is a halfway point between the energy of Frozen Throne and the direction I'm moving in for my new release,” Patterson said. “The newer tunes I've been doing are slower paced and I'm focusing a lot more on making them layered and atmospheric. I also wanted to include a more rhythmic/pop vibe, which I feel Erik Hassle did perfectly with the vocals."“Flatline” premiered on episode 9 of VICE's Beats1 radio show and is now available to stream exclusively on Noisey below.
Advertisement
Follow Andrea Domanick on Twitter.