Sirens

British experimentalist Leifur James releases new track Sirens.

Fresh off the back of a fruitful few years that saw the release of the artists much lauded debut album, notable live performances and audio-visual collaborations, the London based composer returns with this exciting new single. James builds on the success of his breakout with a dense and emotive new offering wrought with organic sound design and accomplished instrumentation.

Born in part as a response to challenges that continue to be felt worldwide, the backdrop for the music is the Neolithic stone circle at Avebury in the UK near to the home of the artists father and where James spent much of the past year. Returning to a simpler existence, closer to nature and landscapes infused with such prehistoric lineage provided valuable insight during the composition process. The combination of acute isolation and remedy worked to draw a new energy upwards and into the light that transferred itself almost by osmosis into the music. The transformation is best described by the artist himself, recalling a new moon rising, gleaming on the horizon during a period of particular intensity in February 2021, like a tide was turning for us all.

Sirens opens with cinematic verve before building patiently, propelled by an undulating piano riff. Buoyed by the gentle hiss and crackle of audio noise and complete with softly engineered field recordings, the track waxes and wanes in James characteristic style before opening up into a rousing and energetic piece of left-field techno music.