When Miami-based vocalist and producer Idoru joined forces with French electronic stalwart Back From The Wave, they created something unique. It was a transcontinental collision of raw club energy and dark electronic angst. Their collaborative single, ‘Love Is Not Enough’, out now on Iptamenos Discos, merges biting EBM basslines with melancholic synth-wave vulnerability to devastating effect. Check it out here!
Born from a mutual admiration of each other’s work and a shared musical lineage spanning post-punk, new wave, and dark disco, the track is a masterclass in digital collaboration. Blending vintage analog grit with contemporary production precision, the duo crafted a relentless dancefloor anthem that dissects the collapse of idealized romance in our hyper-curated digital age.
A Conversation with Idoru & Back From The Wave
We caught up with Idoru and Back From The Wave to discuss the hardware behind their driving groove, the chaotic beauty of human connection, and how they bridged the Atlantic to bring this striking release to life.
You are based on entirely different continents – Idoru in Miami and Back From The Wave in France. How did the two of you first connect and decide to collaborate on ‘Love Is Not Enough’?
Back From The Wave: I listened very often to Idoru’s releases and collaborations on her label Manta Recordings, and I play them very regularly in my DJ mixes. Her universe quickly caught my attention. I found it interesting that across the Atlantic, the so-called EBM and electro style was being revisited in a more contemporary and quite relevant way, and of super quality. I found our respective approaches quite similar. A collaboration with an artist, producer, and singer to boot was a first for me; the challenge was exciting, so I was the one who made the first move…
The production on ‘Love Is Not Enough’ is incredibly striking, especially that driving groove. Was there a specific piece of studio gear, a particular analogue synthesizer, or a go-to plugin that became the foundational anchor for this relentless sound?
Back From The Wave: I have no barriers in terms of production. I work with analog synthesizers – Juno 106, Sequential Fourm, Grp A1, Leipzig Analog Solution, Korg MS-20… But also with VSTs – Korg Collection, Arturia, u-he, etc. And sample banks that I modify at will; I try to have no limits in the creative process. For the track, I used my analog Sequential synth, the Fourm, on the main bassline. It was originally a sample that I found interesting, I kept it by modifying the processing and then the writing, and I ran the Fourm’s arpeggiator over it!! I sampled other nice things too 😉 that I integrated into the track… plus the parts that Ash sent me…
Back From The Wave: Happy anomalies are rare now because all my tracks are mixed by my friend Endrik Schroeder, who is also an excellent producer. It is important to have a sound and style of your own, but one that also sounds current. However, it can happen that an effect on a template or an arpeggiator gets stuck, bugs out, and brings something extra to the track…
When passing stems back and forth across continents, things can often get lost – or brilliantly mutated – in translation. Were there any technical anomalies, unintended gear malfunctions, or production accidents that ultimately made it into the final cut?
Idoru: It was really easy working with Fred – he is very organized and disciplined. I have heard of nightmares where collaborating artists lose files from computer meltdowns or fried drives etc. I am grateful that I’ve taught myself to be organized as well, and back everything up twice! Also, I work with software and good headphones, which I love because I move around a lot, but you do lose those unique anomalies you’d get from a living instrument.
The central mantra, “love is not enough”, is a devastatingly pragmatic realisation about the collapse of an idealised romance. In an era where we heavily curate our digital and social personas, do you feel we are increasingly conditioned to fall in love with the illusions we project rather than the reality of a person?
Back From The Wave: That’s a very good question, the theme of the track is very interesting and very current. Our behavior and social codes have been turned upside down since the advent of the digital world and these new technologies. Social networks, AI, and the virtual occupy an increasingly integral place in our lives. All of it is at our fingertips whatever our needs. For some, it can be a driving force; for others, it can generate frustration, isolation, and sadness. But doesn’t this ultimately do us a disservice? Moving further and further away from reality? We wanted, through the energy of the track, to transcribe this duality – the hope, but also the fatality in this process…
Idoru: Without getting too deep into this subject, yes! We are increasingly conditioned to fall in love with false idols rather than the reality of a person. It has always been easier to fall in love with the idea of someone—your ideal relationship or friendship—but the subtle, frictionless nature of the internet makes it even easier. Our heavily curated online personas are, in most cases, not real; we are multidimensional human beings with a much more fascinating life outside our 2D screens.
With this track, I’m touching on how people try to change someone else to fit their ideal. But people are not objects—we have feelings, experiences, reasons, empathy, etc. Reality is much messier, more painful, and full of fear and doubt. Much more beautiful in all its chaos. We have to learn to love ourselves in all of our monstrosities and extend that pure love. Freedom from the bondage of self is a common theme for me, and in my experience, deep understanding comes from the necessary destruction of my ego.
What are the main musical or artistic influences, and how do you blend your individual backgrounds to create something new?
Back From The Wave: I started listening to all kinds of music at a very young age – new wave at the very beginning, Soft Cell, New Order, Depeche Mode, to name just a few. That naturally led me towards electronic music. I had also done a few things in the past for Goodlife Records, the first label of Michel Amato aka The Hacker, which influenced me a lot for what followed! And I like a lot of things, whatever the style and color. I have spent almost a lifetime listening to music… too many references and styles to list here, it would be too long!
Idoru: My lineage is from blues and jazz on my father’s side, and I grew up listening to a lot of different music. Many hours were spent with my ear up against a speaker listening to NIN, Marilyn Manson, Nirvana, Portishead, The Cranberries, Depeche Mode – too many to name! My main influences probably come from the punk attitude and vulnerability in grunge music. I am also influenced by the solemn romance of the goths like David Bowie, Boy Harsher, and Light Asylum. I draw inspiration from Opeth’s lament. The visceral performances by acts like Nitzer Ebb, The Prodigy, and ADULT also influence my music. The melancholy and arpeggios of Italo Disco…
The original track I sent to Back From The Wave was very synthwavy and didn’t have a big vocal part. I had a feeling he might put an edgier EBM spin on the track. It was so different from the original, and I knew his catalogue well. I bought a lot of his tracks in the past! I loved his work on the track so much, I quickly laid down the vocals from a one-minute clip he sent.
How did the connection with Iptamenos Discos come about, and what made you decide that the label was the perfect home for releasing a track with this specific blend of dark electronics and raw club energy?
Back From The Wave: I had already worked with Dina and Max in the past, I had done a remix for them. I love their universe, which speaks to me immensely. We have quite a few musical references in common. They are two super endearing and hyper-talented people, we thought of them right away!
Idoru: Local Suicide & Wiener Planquadrat honored me by remixing a track in my very early days as an artist. I really gravitated toward their sound and what they were doing. Since then I’ve always kept up with Iptamenos Discos. They support so many amazing artists, some of which I’ve also had a chance to work with. They became an obvious first-pick for our track! We were so happy when they responded to the track.
You have channeled a very specific kind of heartbreak into something deeply cathartic. Having released this tension into the world, where does your creative headspace go next? Is ‘Love Is Not Enough’ a standalone exorcism, or the foundation for a larger collaborative body of work?
Idoru: – There is so much more tension waiting to be released! It’s always building. ‘Love Is Not Enough’ is open-ended, and we are looking forward to another potential collaboration.
While ‘Love Is Not Enough’ brings your worlds together, you both maintain distinct solo trajectories. What are your individual plans and upcoming projects for the near future – are there specific solo releases, tours, or sonic directions you are diving into next?
Back From The Wave: – Ashley and I are planning to make other tracks together, it is already scheduled. I really appreciated our exchanges and our work on ‘Love Is Not Enough’. For my part, collaborations and remixes are underway. I try not to let myself go and rest on my laurels 😉
Idoru: I am working on music to send to Fred this autumn – I can’t wait to see where the next track goes! My first remix is coming out soon – I had the pleasure of remixing an act I’m a huge fan of. Stay tuned for that – I don’t know the release date yet.
I have dreams of an album project that will get out into the world, and it will at the right time. I am leaning into my love of EBM and electro sounds for future projects, which excites and scares me! Learning to let go of my fears behind the mic is humbling. This year, I’d love to focus on collaborations, release more artists on my own label, and build towards that album.
Leave a comment.