A dark, brooding electro-pop single that could’ve been perfectly soundtracked to Heathers? ACER SPADE are delivering the nocturnal soundscapes that music desperately needed.
Dense beats, gritty tones, and melodies that cast neon hues on whatever they touch: dark electro-pop is easily one of the most compelling subgenres out there. Rather projecting mood, this style of production casts universes, transporting the listener into a soundscape that is both familiar, yet deep and brooding. It’s what makes the nocturnal audiosphere so delicate to crack, but so jaw-dropping when an artist does. On their debut single, ACER SPADE achieve what some artists take decades to master. Complex, dripping in distortion and haunting notes, DON’T TRY TO COME FOR ME is a gem of atmospheric production.
Yet, the single is soft in its intricacies. Equally acidic and nourishing, it is a track that looks on chaos from a place of unnerving comfort: like going for a swim in the middle of a house party, simply to escape the noise. Just like the water, tides of synth wash over us, while pulsating bass grounds us in our fluorescent surroundings. It’s a track that will have you pressing repeat for weeks.
Listening to just a moment of DON’T TRY TO COME FOR ME, it’s hard to believe that this single is the duo’s debut. The collaborative project of the Gold Coast’s Lindsey Nolan and Rhys Evans, ACER SPADE are exercising the sonic ingenuity of some of the industry’s greats. It feels like the electro-reimagined ’80s horror movie soundtrack that we all deserve. If Heathers was composed in underground EDM, almost.
Even then, it feels criminal to compare what ACER SPADE are creating to another project. Armoured with the introspection of lockdown, Evans’ unbounded production, and Nolan’s stirring lyricism, the duo are able to grow lush gardens of alt-pop sprinkled with piercing light. It’s unlike anything their contemporaries are achieving.
“The song is reminiscent of Neo-Noir film in a way that it lures you in with its intricacies and multifaceted layers,” the group’s bio reads. “Rhys Evans has skillfully enveloped a tasteful blend of flavours in his production to create an ominous and hard-hitting track whilst Lindsey Nolan has supplied a cut-throat attitude in her brooding lyrics and vocal delivery. This is the duo’s debut single and it is bloodthirsty and bold in its entirety.”
Bloodthirsty is the perfect word to describe DON’T TRY TO COME FOR ME. It is solemnly restless, craving what is just out of reach and devouring everything in sight. Basking audiences in blood-stained light, it is a release that has the potential to hit charts across the world.
Check out DON’T TRY TO COME FOR ME below:
