With next year marking two decades together as a band, what better way for Dutch art-punks Rats on Rafts to kick off 2025 than unveiling a new chapter? On February 7, the group will release their fourth album, Deep Below, which sees them cease expanding the project’s sound in lieu of honing in on the most gothic, post-punk-y elements they’ve excelled at in the past while recreating a dense aesthetic informed by ’80s groups like The Cure and Echo & the Bunnymen. Leading up to the album’s release, the band is sharing the lead single “Japanese Medicine” which aptly chronicles frontman David Fagan’s own self-transformation with a touch of melancholy. “‘Japanese Medicine’ is aimed at a former version of myself,” he explains. “That person’s gone, but occasionally I miss him because life seemed very promising and unpredictable.”
The track’s droning synth and shimmering guitar betray that post-punk/new-wave influence, while the snare-heavy percussion and reverb-soaked vocals align the track with Austin’s current psych-rock scene as led by The Black Angels. “When I first listened to the vocal demo I recorded, I was amazed but really saddened,” Fagan continues. “I had no idea it would come out that way and affect me like that. When I sent it to the others, they all had the exact same feeling. The song touched us all and at the end of the day songs are about carrying emotions. It will always be a special one to us.”
The track’s music video only leans further into the vintage textures that define the song, with the band members materializing on grainy film as they stand in front of a projector displaying rural imagery. “Working with David Kleijwegt and Reinier van Brummelen on the video was an experience we never had before,” Fagan adds. “The day of shooting was set up so incredibly well with the team they assembled. It felt really great to be part of that focused team. Seeing Reinier and David at work and being part of that was very inspiring.”
Check it out below.
