Everything changes and nothing stands still. The earliest philosophers knew it, and Moon Holiday knows it (and lives it). The project of Sydney artist Alexandra Ward, Moon Holiday's debut EP was released in 2011 on leading Sydney label Future Classic. In the meantime she's co-written work with Flume, performed with Karen O, starred at Icelandic Airwaves, and generally maintained a creative pace that makes our broadband connection seem slow in comparison. "Rid U" is Moon Holiday's return to record, a compelling track with shades of future garage, house, and R&B amidst its unique form. You can download the song free via Moon Holiday's Facebook page. It's the first song from Moon Holiday's Second Life EP - soon to be released on Astral People - and we caught up with Alex to find out more.THUMP: Is are some of the ideas behind Second Life as the title for the EP, and Rid U as the single?
For the upcoming EP I wanted to explore how we live so much of our lives online and what that means for our emotional selves. Second Life is obviously the highly popular online community in which you can create your own universe, and this creation aspect is so interesting to me. We want to experience so much, and we have the capability to, but it's probably going to cost us our mental health. Obsessive thought patterns and confusion are also a big theme, both of which I dealt with whilst making the EP. "Rid U" was written from a recurring question I had in my head: "At what point does lust become devotion, and at what point is an emotion an obsession?" The song does have that duality to it, where lust and beauty become ugliness and mania.That's really interesting, and the mood for the video also seems to have a dual aspect, tense but also serene. Could you tell us a little about the video, and it's relationship to the song for you personally?
The video attempts to capture this "good vs. evil" struggle with its monochromatic symbolism and raw setting. It's basically supposed to represent the inside of a person's brain where two characters dance-battle it out, some angles beautiful and others harsh. Sensual without being pretty. The glitchy cuts and long slow-motion stretches are there to mimic the distorted perception of reality.For this upcoming EP, how did the music develop or change as you moved from the initial concepts to the final mixes?
The EP developed as I devoted serious time to working on music alone in my home studio. I was pretty determined to churn it all out myself, and there are definitely some 'idiosyncratic' production techniques in there. I wanted everything to be my choice and execution, so it was a lot of learning as I went by experimentation. This self-imposed isolation made me a bit crazy and probably made me think too much about all of the above. I had to mentally detox when I finished it. I am okay now! (haha)Check Moon Holiday's Facebook here for more updates on Second Life and for a free download of "Rid U"
For the upcoming EP I wanted to explore how we live so much of our lives online and what that means for our emotional selves. Second Life is obviously the highly popular online community in which you can create your own universe, and this creation aspect is so interesting to me. We want to experience so much, and we have the capability to, but it's probably going to cost us our mental health. Obsessive thought patterns and confusion are also a big theme, both of which I dealt with whilst making the EP. "Rid U" was written from a recurring question I had in my head: "At what point does lust become devotion, and at what point is an emotion an obsession?" The song does have that duality to it, where lust and beauty become ugliness and mania.That's really interesting, and the mood for the video also seems to have a dual aspect, tense but also serene. Could you tell us a little about the video, and it's relationship to the song for you personally?
The video attempts to capture this "good vs. evil" struggle with its monochromatic symbolism and raw setting. It's basically supposed to represent the inside of a person's brain where two characters dance-battle it out, some angles beautiful and others harsh. Sensual without being pretty. The glitchy cuts and long slow-motion stretches are there to mimic the distorted perception of reality.For this upcoming EP, how did the music develop or change as you moved from the initial concepts to the final mixes?
The EP developed as I devoted serious time to working on music alone in my home studio. I was pretty determined to churn it all out myself, and there are definitely some 'idiosyncratic' production techniques in there. I wanted everything to be my choice and execution, so it was a lot of learning as I went by experimentation. This self-imposed isolation made me a bit crazy and probably made me think too much about all of the above. I had to mentally detox when I finished it. I am okay now! (haha)Check Moon Holiday's Facebook here for more updates on Second Life and for a free download of "Rid U"