If “Lemon Swayze” were an actor, he/she/they would ultimately be my favorite. I am not about to go on a tangent and get trite with the name. I would imagine that if you are reading this site then you do not have time for that. “Lemon Swayze” is squelchy enough for a Thursday evening and propulsive for a Friday morning. Whatever your predilection, Kunzite has done you right. Check it out below.
KUNZITE just released “LEMON SWAYZE,” the summer-ready track from upcoming album VISUALS, which was spotlighted on Zane Lowe’s Apple Music 1 show as a “World First” record (listen). In addition to the new song, the duo — Mike Stroud (Ratatat) and Agustin White (Abuela) — announced the August 20 album release via Lowly. / Wilder Records, and have unveiled album details including the track listing and cover art. See more below and listen to “LEMON SWAYZE” here: .
“‘LEMON SWAYZE’ was created with the mission of bringing listeners to their feet, dancing in exaltation while on a crazy joyride,” note KUNZITE. “The track’s title was inspired by a vision Agustin had of lemons as spaceships, induced by the consumption of a favorite cannabis strain, Lemon Cake.” The track was recorded between Stroud’s upstate New York barn studio and White’s Oregon dome-shaped studio — a place that resembles adobe dwelling like where Luke Skywalker grew up on Tatooine. Agustin stood in the middle of the dome and felt the channel of energy via the light coming in through and sang the first thing that came out of his mouth, which is what you hear on the final track today… including a nod to a Cyndi Lauper megahit.
The new album found Mike and Agustin writing and recording together, unlike their debut album Birds Don’t Fly which was recorded mostly via electronic teleportation (aka email). Many of the tracks on VISUALS started while at White’s stripped back studio in Hawaii, inspired by the island vibes (and perhaps some microdosing), and finished at Mike’s barn studio. The guys found that their best vocals are when their voices come together in the atmosphere and meet in harmony, and the album features a variety of instrumentation found in their studios including acoustic, electric and lap steel guitars, organ, synthesizers and the charango.
The duo have taken listeners on a journey around the cosmos with early singles “JUPITER,” “SATURN,” and “NOVAS” which were the first sonic reverberations from VISUALS. Most recently, KUNZITE released the infectious and breezy “FROSTY,” paired with a sun-soaked video filmed in Venice Beach, befitting the warm, sunny vibe of the track and featuring local surfers and skaters including members from the all female-identifying crew GRLSWIRL. KUNZITE additionally released a psychedelic animated video for “FROSTY,” which nods to “LEMON SWAYZE” with a lemon spaceship.
VISUALS is out via Lowly. / Wilder on August 20, 2021.
