Parekh & Singh, the dream-pop duo from Kolkata, India, released their first single in two years, Je Suis la Pomme Rouge via Peacefrog Records. The song is bright and buoyant, an uplifting production crafted with lush harmonies and a booming bassline, layered over soft, melodic vocals. It’s the kind of track that promises to whisk away its listeners – to dazzle and soothe, tranquilize and hypnotize through lush, stirring, vivid sound.
When describing their inspirations behind the song, Nischay says “There was a phase where I became fascinated with the history of King Richard the First, the Troubadour King. By all accounts, he was one of the few ‘artists’ who held a position of such power. This fascination coincided with my attempt to study some French on the ‘Duolingo’ app. The chorus of this song is one of the few sentences I learned to construct. The song is a tribute to the magic of stories. A breathtaking track full of bright acoustics and pleasant vocal work, “Je Suis la Pomme Rouge” captures these ideas and dreamy wonder with elegance and delicate grace.
Jivraj says “We find the appealing and mysterious apple popping up as a symbol in diverse areas of thought, expression and knowledge; from the humanities and sciences, to the arts, to myth and the more arcane realms. Transposing this into our music-making, our new song ‘Je Suis la Pomme Rouge’ is a pastiche which draws from, and pays tribute to, the rich assemblage of human creativity through the ages, which is the source of our inspiration, and our consolation.” With sweet, poetic lyricism that paints vivid imagery of the keepsakes that the songwriters have collected,, the song wraps your heart in unbridled joy and fondness.
Jivraj continues, ‘’I didn’t get far in my historical research or my French studies, but I did acquire the initial inspiration for this song. I was enamored by the idea of leading a public life but preserving one’s own artistry, and not sharing too much of oneself. Hiding behind humor, tact and intelligence may seem silly, but it’s what I imagine even a King of England had to do at some point in his life.”
The artwork, designed by Yashasvi Mathis, explores an imaginary world set in the night. The song was written and produced by Nischay & Jivraj at their respective homes in Dubai and Kolkata over the course of 2021. Remotely, the duo reached out to Pedro Zappa on Bass & Ashley Jarmack on Flute & English Horn to feature as instrumentalists on the record. The song is mixed by Howie Beck.
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To take the imaginary dreamworld further, the duo approached filmmaker and animator Upamanyu Bhattacharya who brought on Kalp Sanghvi for motion graphics and extra effects to create a dreamy lyric video. “This video is a snapshot of life in another realm. On this planet, gravity is optional, plants can grow to full size in seconds, and the water has a mind of its own. This song is a tribute to the magic of stories, and the video is a little reminder that the human imagination is limitless”, the duo said.
With a repetitive and memorable chorus, this is an utterly heavenly track that will have you hitting repeat, whilst also acknowledging that anything is possible in this world.
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