Float is the latest EP from the extraordinary Meanjin/Brisbane-based electronic artist and producer Du0. The record is a collection of five songs that showcase the versatility and velvety touch from Du0. From the leading track, “Your Arms” featuring the gorgeous vocals of Julia Ross, to the reimagining of the classic “Walking on a Dream” from Empire of the Sun, there is a lightness and deftness in production that stands out. This is a record to listen to on repeat.
The EP was produced by Du0 with tracks mixed by Nicolas Essig (Daft Punk, Paul McCartney, Post Malone), as well as Tom Griffiths and Ian Griffiths (Icarus). Float follows on from his 2022 debut EP, Lift.
To celebrate the release of Float, Du0 has compiled for the AU a track-by-track breakdown. So do press <Play>, crank it up and enjoy the shimmering beauty of Float.
Du0 – Float – Track by Track
Float is about the feeling of being untethered and not caring about what comes next. At times, it’s frowned upon to go through life like that, but there is also such joy in its innocence and ignorance. I wanted the listener to be able to forget about everything for its twenty-minute duration and just float. I got to work with some incredible vocalists and some electronic heroes of mine with Tom and Ian from Icarus. I’m proud of this body of work.
“Your Arms” with Julia Ross
‘Your Arms’ is a transition piece from Lift to Float, being a little more upbeat and dance focused. I really dug the instrumental when I first wrote it, and I was stoked to snag Julia Ross to bring her power to the song. Julia’s emotive storytelling and hypnotic vocals really rounded out this track perfectly, and I’m happy with how it’s turned out.
“Echoes” with Reo Cragun
‘Echoes’ was a little bit of an experiment for me. I explored more of a breakbeat feel and sound which was outside of my comfort zone, but it was a gamble I feel paid off. I’ve been a big fan of Reo Cragun for a long time, so I was excited to have him on this one. Our nostalgic feelings of the track really aligned, and I think you can hear that when you listen to the track. It’s a song about feeling weightless and invincible when we were young, and how those feelings still echo today.
“Overdrive” with Reo Cragun
This was fun. ‘Overdrive’ is about young love and taking a fearless leap into it all. I paid a lot of attention to adding funky bass and fluffy synth sounds to this one because I was keen to circle back to some of my previous tracks that had more of a funk emphasis. It was a no-brainer to have Reo back on this track, and his vocals really levelled up the storytelling.
“Summer Nights”
‘Summer Nights’ is about living in the moment while the future feels so far away, and from the beginning of writing this track, I felt like I was onto something good. I was confident in my production, from the first chords I wrote on my back deck, to beefing them out in Ableton, and having Jim Alxndr jumping on with some sax – it just felt good.
“Walking on a Dream” – Empire of the Sun
I’ve been challenging myself to write covers of some of my favourite tracks and I couldn’t go past this classic. I was big into Empire of the Sun around the time they released ‘Walking on a Dream’ and it’s been a favourite ever since. I was excited to bring the melody into a new form and put my own spin on it, and hope I captured the essence of the original in my work.
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