Harlem – Pocket Candy [Veyl]

The Swedish duo Harlem, formed by Martin Thomasson and Johan Skugge, is a long-lived project in constant evolution, as their musical heritage is due to diverse musical genres such as electro, minimal, techno, dub, and more recently new beat, industrial and EBM.

Harlem debuts on the Italian label Veyl with an album that shows a new update in terms of their style and also a great versatility to generate their works from bordering fields and, at the same time, with such distant sounds.  

Bait, the first cut of the album, exudes rawness, as well as a certain minimalism caused by the simplicity to generate a complete track only with a simple rhythmic base, a bass line with an invariable pattern and a set of several voices. With Juice we can also apply the same guidelines because of its rough sound, however, it is richer in nuances and distances itself more from lo-fi. Target immerses you in a different scenario, with a more elaborate and variable rhythm, just like its melody.

Sthlm Muscle’s sound is totally electronic, as well as brilliant. Spastic Puppy also mixes this kind of textures with vocals, so you are halfway between electro and new beat. Pocket Candy and Night Vision completely change the minimalist model. These last two tracks stand out from the rest for their sonic breadth with heartbreaking synth lines.

Release date: June 11th, 2021.