Photo by Julia Khoroshilov
New York City synth-pop duo Tempers, comprised of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, have always had a gift for weaving a singular brand of spellbinding and cinematic aural poetry—creating music that is both captivating and immersive, transporting the listener to an almost tangible setting like the beach at night, or a lamp-lit city apartment at 3 am.
Today Tempers have announced their forthcoming album, New Meaning, out on April 1 via DAIS. To mark this occasion, they have released their lead single, “Unfamiliar”.
This introspective, icy, and intense track was born of “living in a society that is still a dream of itself.” Jasmine Golestaneh’s voice embraces the song with ethereal warmth. Eddie Cooper, in turn, breathes life into the precision of the melodic intervals “on the exact edge between major and minor, severe and sweet.” The song’s resulting spacious new-wave beats and dance-driven hooks are exquisite to the ears, yet reveal unbridled bittersweetness.
“Unfamiliar explores the idea of progress, and what qualities might be needed to actualise it,” Golestaneh explains. “So often change is just a rebranding of the same structures and conventions, history repeating itself. But also on a personal level, it’s hard not to repeat mistakes, habits are so seductive. I was thinking about the power of liminal space, and how building a tolerance to unfamiliarity might be a revolutionary act.”
Listen to ‘Unfamiliar” below:
With their self-produced New Meaning, Tempers navigate the unknown, finding, coping mechanisms and exploring the nature of choice in an anguished city. Its ten songs reflect on the “creation of meaning as an access to liberation in times of transition and loss, speculating on the transformative potential that exists alongside the grief of living in a world that is in an ongoing state of crisis.”
The album has a companion book of original artwork and lyrics. Jasmine Golestaneh created a handmade collage for each song, translating its sonic landscapes and lyrical themes into concrete images. The book is published by Old Habits Press.
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Photo by Julia Khoroshilov
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