Today, we’re excited to introduce 800cc, a cross-continental project to Unrecorded, which seeks to delve into the hidden depths of the self and explore them in a way that’s honest and sincere. It’s made up of Detroit-based artist Kevin Kline and his close collaborator Charlie Andrew, a UK-based producer. Despite the distance and obstacles of internet connections, personal schedules and time zones, there’s an undeniable sense of closeness and intimacy in the project’s latest release ‘hands so cold’.
For all of the misty-eyed dreaminess and psychedelic mysticism that this track conjures up, refreshingly this single wears its influences on its sleeve. Kline has drawn in some of his favourite 60s motifs, from Brian Wilson’s near-magical touch as The Beach Boys’ producer to an opening chord borrowed from The Beatles’ iconic ‘Don’t Let Me Down’. Yet, this isn’t a space for simple retro reproduction, instead Kline and Andrew work together to recontextualise those 60s elements for the modern day. The result is a shifting soundscape between esoteric indie-rock, dream-pop and hypnotic psych-rock.
As well as being an impressive slice of sonic experimentation, this hazy, meditative single allows Kline to examine how relationships operate within this digital age. As he explains:
“This song began as a reflection of a modern day relationship, especially the mundane moments and minutia that exist in-between what people tend to write songs about. It looks at pressures of a person using social media to tell broadcast a story about themselves, and specific feelings like looking at a blank screen and seeing the reflection of your partner and you as you avoid uncomfortable conversations and seek entertainment instead. It aims to suggest how we all long for human connection, yet we live in a digital world and our interaction with technology is now interwoven into the fabric of our lives and yes, even our relationships.”
What’s so interesting about Kline’s approach here is how his lyrics don’t explicitly focus on what has been said, but rather what has not been said. Those spaces, those pauses, those unsent messages, the hovering ellipses that never materialise into a real conversation. At one point, he questions, “when was it clear?”, amongst the fog of miscommunication and the song’s intentionally airy layers.
Recorded at London’s Iguana Studios, with additional vocals from AK Patterson and drumming by Maxwell Sullivan, ‘hands so cold’ feels like the start of an exciting new chapter for 800cc‘s future-psych vision.
You can also find ‘hands so cold’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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