Live Review: RUFUS DU SOL are back with absolutely massive dance epic, 'Underwater'

RÜFÜS DU SOL are one of the biggest names in Australian dance music, so it's fitting that their latest cut 'Underwater' is just as huge. Following their earlier single, 'No Place', it's our latest taste of their upcoming album, Solace.

Through eight years, a name change, two studio albums and literally hundreds of shows, it's safe to say the Sydney alternative dance trio know their stuff. Their sound firmly toes the line between expressive indie-pop and the pounding, club-ready sounds of alternative dance, melding the two genres into one perfect whole. Their upcoming album was recorded on the sunny shores of Venice Beach in California - the effect of which is immediately visible on 'Underwater'.

Just shy of six minutes in length, 'Underwater' is as much of a journey as it is a solid dance track. Tyrone Lindqvist's soulful vocals soar over a minimal synth loop and crisp hi-hats, before long being submerged in a wall of synth stabs, vocal loops and booming percussion. The track switches between sounds bursting out at every angle to soft, ambient breakdowns with remarkable finesse, never once losing its grip on the listener. It's a phenomenal dance tune but it also tells a story: 'Underwater' evokes the feeling of being overwhelmed, but fighting tooth and nail to catch your breath - and finally doing so.

Where 'No Place' was a poppy dance anthem right at home in a club, 'Underwater' is something more. RUFUS DU SOL have always dished out multi-faceted bangers, but their latest is such an impressive evolution of their craft, not only in sound but in message. They're not just pushing boundaries, they're smashing them down - and it's absolute perfection.

IMAGE VIA FACEBOOK

WORDS BY MAX LEWIS

LISTEN TO MORE NEW MUSIC HERE

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