Music News - October Releases Debut Album 'Ultra Red'
20 April 2018 - 0 Comments
New Zealand musician, producer and songwriter Emma Logan aka October has released her debut album Ultra Red – out now on iTunes and all digital streaming platforms.
October writes and produces electronic pop music that drinks deeply from the rich histories of hardcore, industrial, new wave, and post-punk. Within her expansive productions, shades of Siouxsie Sioux, Patti Smith, Bauhaus, Blondie, The I.L.Y’s, Death Grips, and The Jesus and Mary Chain blur together. Intertwined, they emerge as euphoric-but-biting songs, which while dressed in abrasive, harsh and distorted aesthetics, never lose sight of the dance floor or the playful melodies of classic pop.
On her production influences, Emma says “I like when production feels like a tangible, textured, palette. I think that’s what is so satisfying about industrial styled beats - it becomes almost multi-sensory”
Considering herself an introvert, October’s loud production choices and lyrical brashness seems surprising. “I suppose it’s always been an outlet. I am here creating alone in my bedroom and I can be as confident, honest, bratty or as vulnerable as I want to be through my production and songwriting”
Lead single 1000 Eyes was written by October and co-produced with acclaimed welsh producer/engineer David Wrench (The XX, FKA Twigs) as part of The New Zealand Music Producer Series in 2017. The new single expands October’s dark, pulsing repertoire of singles released to date, Pure, All She Does Is Stare and Cherry Cola.
Growing up in the South Island town of Blenheim, October took full advantage of her teenage years to hone her creative skills, while also studying her heroes and heroines. After high school, October headed to Wellington, where she briefly attended music school, before dropping out to pursue music and art, not just on her terms, but in her way.
October’s ethos came into clarity with the release of her first commercial single Cherry Cola and its accompanying music video. Celebrated by i-D, NME, Oyster Mag, and New Zealand’s art pop icon Lorde, Cherry Cola showed that October’s equal footed love of pop culture and the avant-garde could live together in harmony, and connect well beyond the counterculture. More importantly, it opened the door for the musical exhilaration and chaos she seeks. “It was the first step into the sound I’m currently exploring,” she reflects.
As Cherry Cola's buzz built, October began scoring support and touring slots alongside Broods, Maala, Lontalius and Young Lean, and pushing her live performance to new levels. Invigorated, she started spending time in recording studios from Auckland to Los Angeles, learning tricks of the trade from the likes of Alex Wildwood, Joel Little, and Thom Powers (of The Naked & Famous), while further refining her aesthetic. “The modern day pop persona just doesn’t really appeal to me,” she says. “It’s too glossy and polished. I like a little bit of rough around the edges.”
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