Awash in shoegaze reverb, coloured by retro-digital pastels, the video for ‘Glue’ by Swoon is simultaneously ecstatic and claustrophobic.
Hailing from unceded Yugambeh land, Swoon is the project of Adam Leng, which began in early 2020.
Swoon’s new single Glue and its accompanying video reflect an artist bursting with the energy of a new project, but already in possession of a highly focused and assured visual and sonic aesthetic.
Taking inspiration from My Bloody Valentine‘s walls of mesmeric ambient guitars, Swoon’s garage rock drums are in line with contemporary indie shoegazers like PEEL. In keeping with the opaque aesthetic, the vocal melody is strong but deeply embedded in the mix, creating an overall sonic atmosphere that washes over you.
The video — a blissful ode to the graininess of ’80s VHS, with a colour palette that leaps out from the shadows — is tastefully in keeping with the sound. The cymbals, the intensity of the reverb, the power of the grooves is pure hypnosis — a sensation that’s only heightened by the layers of fluorescent projections, tape flickers, and screen-in-screen close-ups.
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Emerging in the Brisbane/Gold Coast hardcore scene imbued Leng with a staunch, DIY ethos, resulting in a project in which every aspect comes directly from the heart. With Leng’s garage doubling as the factory floor (recording, mixing, merch, video production — you name it), Glue represents a cohesive and holistic approach to a musical project.
Swoon has also just signed to Kitty Records, with an EP titled Rainbirds, set to drop on May 27. As of today, you can pre-order a cassette version of the EP and T-shirts. Head over to Kitty Records for all the details and gorge yourself on the video for Glue below.
