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Music

Stream the Debut EP 'Say My Name' from Dreamy R&B Duo Tidelines

This is like Destiny's Child meets FKA twigs... with a dash of gloomy Burial thrown in.

There's been a groundswell of female-led, dreamy alt-pop coming out of London lately, from the dissonant sensuality of FKA twigs, gauzy synthwork of Throwing Shade, hyper-pop ephemerality of PC Music-affiliated Felicita, and many more. The latest emerging stars from the scene are Tidelines, a duo from South East London. Their debut EP Say My Name is out this month on the London/Vancouver indie label XVI, and we're streaming it in full below.

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Tidelines got their name from the word for debris that forms when two bodies of water meet. "We both have very different tastes and frequently clash on what sounds good, hence the name Tidelines," Niomi and Colin tell THUMP. The EP is a "result of a collaboration between polar opposites," drawing influence from both sides of the Atlantic—including London label Night Slugs, and American R&B singers Tinashe and Frank Ocean.

Title track "Say My Name" was a reference, obviously, to the Destiny's Child version. "Like the original, it's a plea for honesty and clarity between two people in a relationship through the way they reference each other. Production-wise, we wanted to keep the sound sparse yet enveloping," they say.

The striking video for that track, directed by Zach Ellams, reflects the theme of water that runs through their music. "Niomi starts obscured and almost suffocating but as the song progresses she becomes pure—it is cathartic," Colin says. Filming the video was especially challenging because she had to sing the song in reverse (!) while getting drenched in black paint. Check out the striking results below.

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Say My Name EP is out May 11 via XVI Records. Buy it here.