Photo by Petra Katanic
Raf Duran makes his entrance into the new interbellum, extending a warm electronic music embrace tinged with an undercurrent of icy peril. Now, following the release of “The New Thing,” “Erasing,” and “No Future,” the Dutch synthpop solo artist unveils his haunting fourth single, “Violence In Your Eyes.“
This song’s message cuts like broken glass, sharp and unforgiving, as it digs deep into the themes of jealousy, those foggy late nights, and the mornings after when things feel worse: shattered decorum, stained purity, blasphemous moments that leave bruises where you least expect them. The questions roll through your mind on repeat: What really went down? Who crossed the line? Was any of it worth it?
The answers are lost in a haze, replaced by a cold, clinging regret. Duran stalks the shadows of uncertainty, hinting at things better left buried, but knowing full well that the ghosts of those mistakes will haunt you just the same. Violence In Your Eyes veritably prowls, looking for its next victim.
Raf Duran, an Amsterdam bedroom producer, wrestles with his demons the only way he knows how—by losing himself in his music. He lays out his Weltschmerz in songs that tackle the big, bleak topics: AI, the specter of a Third World War, the Sixth Mass Extinction, and the looming Climate Crisis. And, of course, those age-old trifles—love, life, and death. Despite the gloomy undertones, the tracks, co-produced by Sebastiaan Dutilh (CUT_), turn dancing on the edge of disaster into a strangely delightful affair, echoing the vibes of Pet Shop Boys, Ladytron, late-era DEVO, and Kraftwerk.
The self-directed video matches the mood—a jittery mix that captures the raw intensity of jealousy, using vintage footage of human brain scans and early computer graphics. Found clips and home-shot scenes depict foggy memories of midnight disputes, shrouded in uncertainty over events that might never have occurred. It’s a visual journey through the fractured mind, where nothing is clear, but everything feels urgent.
Watch the video for “Violence In Your Eyes” below:
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