Costume – Once I Loved

Italian duo Costume has been very active recently. MauSS and Claudia Placanica’s project has released two volumes of the Unus Spiritus series, a collection of b-sides, experiments, alternative takes, and now presents a 3-track single called Once I Loved.

Costume was founded by TommyBox (voice) and MauSS (music), characterized by electro-pop, techno, house, and other sounds. Their style mixes experimentation and pop sensibilities in a personal fashion.

They even started a career as remixers, working for Angie Bowie (ex wife of David Bowie), B52s‘ Fred Schneider and Steve Strange of Visage, and toured with Neon Der Noir and Die Selektion.

Recently, 80’s punk icon Claudia Placanica has replaced Tommy Box giving a new vocal dimension to the band, as seen in the albums Brain Bang and Natural Burella.

The new single return to their electro roots after the punk and ambient experiments of Unus Spiritus, but it retains their taste for guitar sounds intermixed with vibrant and evocative electronics.

The main version features Claudia’s vocals in a seductive setting in which she moves with elegance. Micro-rhythms and guitar loops underline the course of the track while suggestive soundscapes conquer us.

The second version is a remix called not by mistake Detroit Techno Mix. It features old-school motifs with a taste for futuristic synth sounds and steady rhythmic patterns rich in snare drums and kicks.

The last one is a demo lo-fi version which emphatizes the raw elements of the track giving more space to dissonance and cutting riff sounds. The main guitar theme is here stronger and shows another facets of the project recalling some parts of Unus Spiritus.

A 3-track single perfectly showcasing Costume’s style and an apt introduction for new listeners, encompassing some of the elements dear to their sound.

Release date: July 7th, 2020.

Text: Davide Pappalardo