Live Review: Hi Life 'Slide' back onto the scene with a new club-pop hybrid

16 November 2018 | 12:12 pm | Holly O'Neill

After a few years honing their genre bending sound Sydney duo HI LIFE are back with 'Slide', a glossy pop leaning collaboration with vocalist HARVIE

At the end of 2016, we here eyed Sydney duo HI LIFE as a pair to watch in the year ahead following the release of a handful of glistening pop club singles. Now approaching the end of 2018, the drop of their latest single 'Slide' proves even though we may have gotten the timing wrong, we were right in expecting big things from Hi Life.

With the help of vocalist and songwriter HARVIE, the duo have melded the weirdo club sounds of their earlier releases with a slick pop sensibility on 'Slide' and created a track that is all at once experimental and heartfelt. "We wanted to make a universal track with a relatable message" Hi Life says of 'Slide' "There's a sweetness to it, but it's also vulnerable." A simmering energy runs through the track, pushed on by tactile sound design, oddball sampling and emotive delivery from Harvie.

Over rubbery synth melodies and bouncing percussion in the intro, her sincere performance feels at odds with the hypercolour production. However the foundation of the chorus, a soft focus synth loop, ties everything together and stirs a uniquely modern feeling of melancholy in an undefined relationship.

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On 'Slide', Hi Life have redefined themselves again, pulling their club instincts back to reveal a more delicate pop creativity. Their glossy production lends itself very well to this wave of algorithm-riding pop, finally bringing an Aussie perspective to the global phenomenon.

To accompany their new track, the duo have put out a clip to accompany it featuring a whole lot of the Hi Life boys sliding into the DM's of some of their favourite artists.

With the release of this new single, Hi Life have hit the ground running, locking in a slot at the upcoming EMC Play showcase, joining a diverse crew of acts across the Red Bull Bright Futures events and nabbing a support gig for Alison Wonderland's Australian tour. Hi Life promise they are are sitting on a years worth of releases, and with all these big opportunities coming their way something tells us the future is very promising for this duo.

You can download or stream 'Slide' by Hi Life featuring Harvie on your platform of choice here.

Image: SUPPLIED

Words by HOLLY O’NEILL

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