In retrospect, the early-’10s psychedelic indietronica scene that STRFKR arose out of—and did plenty to define, back when they were more boldly known as Starfucker (or, for the real heads/geriatrics, Pyramiddd) was a bit of an anachronism. Though their psychotropic melodies fit their new-wave sensibilities like a pair of legs squeezing into corset-tight jeans brighter than any color of the rainbow, STRFKR’s vision was an idyllic revisionist history—a 1980s where Carter earned a second term, LSD was still the du-jour drug, and we didn’t have to put up with hair metal.
While they’ve maintained this vision for a decade and a half at this point, throughout forays in new-age ambient music and sparkling remix collections, their upcoming album Parallel Realms leans fully into mellow highs and loud neons. The latest single “Under Water / In Air” (the titular parallel realms?) is a vibrant dose of THC that bridges the gap between what peers like Hooray for Earth were doing a decade ago and what contemporaries such as UMO have evolved into today. “It was probably one of the most collaborative songs on the record,” frontman Josh Hodges shares of the undeniably harmonious track. “It started with an idea of Keil [Corcoran]’s that I expanded on, then Arian [Jalali] added the guitars which made it come together and feel complete.”
“Under Water / In Air” arrives with a visual component created by Edward Carvalho-Monaghan, who’s illustration graces Parallel Realms’s cover. Check that out below, and browse their upcoming tour dates kicking off in April (in addition to a DJ set at SXSW before then) here.
