Bouclette is the new solo project of Ben Crook, a Melbourne-based drummer from the analog synth rockband, Oolluu. His style is inspired by ’80s synthwave, with tracks that feature live breakbeat-style drum performances paired with pulsating analog synths and spaced-out vocal layers.
Teaming up with producer Lilith Lane AKA Baxter Avalon, who also features on lead vocals, the pair release She Dreams of Flying, the first single from their forthcoming nine-track debut album Euphoria.
Bouclette journeys through a lucid dream of neon-coloured plains and dramatic synthwave soundscapes on She Dreams of Flying.
With inspiration that ranges from French electronica artists such as M83, Daft Punk and Justice to local artists such as D.D. Dumbo and Gotye, Bouclette has a unique and diverse sound that is characterised by captivating and syncopated rhythmic ideas.
His debut single She Dreams of Flying is a high-energy journey into an otherworldly realm of lucid dreaming, with brooding synths and dynamic arpeggios that perfectly reflect the feelings of liberation in a dream state. The pulsating, swirling ’80s synth builds and thrashing drums make for an enigmatic and vibrantly powerful sonic soundscape.
Breaking away from typical synthwave styles that feature drum machine loops, the breakbeat-inspired live drums add an organic element to the track that is both zealous and packed with bravado. Bouclette artfully combines contemporary and retro sounds in this tune that gradually build in intensity and put you into a neon-coloured trance-like state.
The release is paired with a music video, shot at Lake Corangamite on the volcanic plains in Western Victoria, which features Ben Crook alone with his drumkit on a vast open plain. Complete with sweeping drone shots, the video showcases the dramatic landscape that surrounds the lake, perfectly pairing with the building intensity of the song.
On the last day of the shoot, exposed to the elements and far from any cover, a sizeable electrical storm converged on the lake at sunset, making for an incredible display of nature, as lightning strikes the distant horizon in the opening clips of the video. Check out the video for She Dreams of Flying above.
Bouclette’s debut album Euphoria is set to be released on the 15th of October.
