Released on the 21st of August, ahead of his upcoming album, ‘Eventide’, DECO-LUXE’s new single, ‘Mellow’ brings listeners an incredible introduction to that record’s sonic world.
‘Mellow’ is out now and is available to stream and download here.
DECO-LUXE is the nom-de-plume of synth-wave producer, Matt Hancock, from Charleston, South Carolina, whose musical journey has seen him go from playing guitar in bands before making the switch to playing drums with rock group, Gam Gam. A nerve injury meant that he was no longer able to play guitar, but that didn’t stop him in his musical tracks – he discovered a new creative path through synthesizers, electronic production and sound design.
With luminous synths and nostalgic melodies, blended with modern pop-inspired production techniques, ‘Mellow’ explores how the very nature of sound is able to evoke memories, and bring about a sense of longing. That very nostalgia was the single goal of the recording process, with DECO-LUXE crafting atmospheric textures by way of heavily distorted samples, to which he applied sidechain compression, resulting in a subtle pulsing. From that point, he built up the driving synth bass line, which serves as the focal point to the track, while vocalist Kyat Cute, with whom DECO-LUXE had previously collaborated, perfectly captured the emotion DECO-LUXE was going for. Such was their creative chemistry on the single, that DECO-LUXE asked her to collaborate on the entire ‘Eventide’ album.
DECO-LUXE’s name evokes the timeless elegance of Art Deco, and his sound brings with it the luxurious and bold sophistication of that movement. Likewise, his sound can be characterised by the transition from adversity into beauty; a true example of life imitating art, and vice versa.
‘Mellow’ is out now and is available to stream and download here, and you can find out more about DECO-LUXE and his music online on Instagram, and Facebook.
