Photo by Lindsey Wallace
All the tears we had
Cry out to me while I am dancing…
Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, synth-pop act NOUVEAUX swirls with new wave reverie with their shimmering second single “Illusions”. The new song is the first track from their upcoming self-titled album, set for release in June 2022 via Sabotage Records in Europe and Castra Records (an imprint of Doomed to Extinction) in North America.
“Illusions is a dark and dreamy dance song that reflects on the distorted lens through which we remember our first love and heartbreak”, explains the band.
The nostalgic video clip for the track was directed and filmed by Wayne Moreheart (with additional support by Laura May Taylor and Jason Kilroe). With its flashing neon club lights, infectious hooks, and the retro 80s treatment, “Illusions” is a love letter to mid-80s synthpop with a wistful and bittersweet lead vocal from Michelle Smolnicki.
Both nostalgia and heartache can be a dangerous spiderweb…if you allow yourself to get ensnared. But it is, perhaps sometimes, nice to get swept away in the mirage.
“The video was recorded in an empty nightclub at a time when we all felt starved for connection, and is a visual tribute to the dreamy 1980s pop videos that filled our youth and left us yearning for memories that had not yet been experienced,” says the band.
Watch the video for “Illusions” below:
NOUVEAUX is comprised of Brian Gustavson (SPECTRES) Nathan Szilagyi (Ex-SPECTRES), and Michelle Smolnicki. The dreary yet beautiful backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, where the trio spent their youth, inspires Nouveaux’s unique sound. With musical backgrounds steeped in post-punk, 80s New Wave, minimal synth, and Italo Disco, NOUVEAUX pays tribute to their influences while incorporating modern synth elements and production. We hear allusions to the work of The Human League, Deux, Savage, Stereo Total, and more in their sound.
Hear more from NOUVEAUX here:
Besides, NOUVEAUX, Brian Gustavson, and his Spectres recently released the fantastic LP Hindsight. Gustavson also provides guest vocals on Nuovo Testmento’s fantastic full-length debut album New Earth.
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