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Live Review: Nakatomi drop their new single 'Wooden Castle' with a surreal video

6 November 2017 | 9:14 am | Max Lewis

Adelaide future-pop duo Nakatomi have released 'Wooden Castle' - the first single from their upcoming debut EP- alongside an endearing pantomime film clip.

Adelaide Indietronica duo Nakatomi have dropped their brand new single, 'Wooden Castle', alongside a surreal, 20's inspired pantomime video. They've also announced shows at November's Sad Grrls Fest across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Consisting of Emily Smart and Hamish CoxNakatomi are all about combining the past and present in one ethereal future-pop package. Through innovative and wild live shows, they've become an integral part of Adelaide's electronic scene, supporting huge names like Miami HorrorPeking Duk and Sneaky Sound System. 'Wooden Castle' is the first taste of their upcoming EP which is set for release in the new year.

'Wooden Castle' establishes a spacious and dark atmosphere from the very beginning, with Smart's subtly detuned vocals blending with a thick bass kick and a resonant snare. The chorus explodes into a massive wall of sound, with powerful layered vocals, trap-esque hats and woozy synths all joining the scene. There's a danger with such a busy mix to have details get lost in the textures, but the duo have done a fantastic job of maintaining presence without losing impact. It's a great track that combines the ethereal, reverb-soaked sound of the 80s with the heavy, in-your-face future-pop sound.

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The video goes the opposite route to what one would expect, instead a ye-olde pantomime style of filming to tell the story of "a woodsman, a bear and a tree, [as] they find friendship, battle fear and find strength,” according to Smart. Directed by Tim Lucas, the video exudes child-like fantasy with puppets, hand-made title cards and back projection; not to mention the endearing costumes warn by the characters. Both the track and the video "explore themes of feeling stuck and stifled whilst striving towards goals that seem out of reach [...] and not giving up on yourself even when others are trying to cut you down."

Off the back of 'Wooden Castle' Nakatomi have announced shows at November's Sad Grrls Fest - check out the dates below!

SAT 11 NOV | THE REVERENCE HOTEL, FOOTSCRAY VIC | 18+

SAT 18 NOV | THE RED RATTLER, MARRICKVILLE SYD | ALL AGES

WORDS BY MAX LEWIS

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