A Cosmic Collaboration Born on a Tropical Island
Clubland is filled with duos, sometimes they grew up sharing bunk beds, sometimes they met on a dancefloor, or sometimes -as with Lord Fascinator & Kate Stein– they met on a tropical island after one had commissioned the other to create several giant monsters for a music video.
Fast forward through ten years of costumes, chemicals, religious art projects and “Mad Max yoga retreats”, they have finally cemented their relationship in the studio with their Primary EP, 4 tracks of psychedelic synth-pop, cowboy disco and cosmically inclined iridescent electronica.
“Smiling like a rainbow, Burning like an asteroid”
Living in LA in 2022, where they found themselves sharing a crumbling castle turret, the EP started to take shape when Kate – the aforementioned monster maker and now up & coming DJ and producer – shared her latest demos with Lord Fascinator.
Aided and abetted by both the musical ghosts of Laurel Canyon and a regular supply of caffeine the pair began to craft these demos into an EP that segues from sublime synth pop odes to chemical love and intoxicating attraction through to country disco without missing a beat.
Opening the Doors of Perception with “Chemistry”
The EP kicks off with Chemistry, a song whose spacey synth arpeggios wrap themselves around trippy house beats and a bass line that pulses like the heartbeat of a planet. It’s a third eye opener of a track, one that kicks down the doors of perception only to find a secret nightclub filled with neon smiles hidden behind and perfectly sets the playful mood for everything that follows.
As it happens what follows is the cosmically inclined synth-pop and trance inducing disco of Asteroid. A paean to “falling in love on drugs” Asteroid somehow finds the hitherto unknown sweet spot between Spiritualized and Lipps Inc. and, thanks in no small part to Lord Fascinator’s celebratory chorus, blazes like its namesake across the night sky.
Saddle Up for the Club Banger “Horse House”
So far, so cosmic. What you may not have been expecting then is country touched club banger Horse House, a track that combines a galloping hypnotic house beat and pulsating synths with all manner of Morricone’esque whistles, lonesome guitar twangs, equine snorts and, of course, the repeated chant that “there’s a horse in this house”.
The track may have started life as a joke but its effect on dancefloors has been anything but and Horse House joins the select ranks of other fine western themed classics that have curiously littered the history of club music.
Closing the Journey with “Le Petit Martien”
Finally, to close out the EP, we have Le Petit Martien, which despite its extraterrestrial title and occasional French lyrics, maintains the western vibes, cantering along at a steady 110bpm. It’s a bit like the impossible love child of say the Bad Seeds’ Red Right Hand, Serge Gainsbourg’s Bonnie and Clyde and one of Todd Terje’s more playful moments, in other words the perfect way for this free spirited EP to ride off into the sunset.
Biography
Having cut her teeth in the art world working in spatial design Kate Stein made her musical debut in 2021, her hypnotic take on house quickly seeing her make appearances on labels sick as Roam Recordings, Playground Records, TAU and Rotten City. Lord Fascinator meanwhile began his musical career as the frontman for Australian rock band Children Collide.
Since relocating to NY and moving behind the decks he’s DJ’d and performed all over the world sharing stages with the likes of The Avalanches and Tame Impala, been remixed by Prins Thomas, collaborated with Simple Symmetry, scored Hollywood films and produced immersive dining experiences in Mexico.
Primary EP Release Dates
Horse House – out now
Asteroid – out March 21st
Primary EP – out April 25th
Release Date : April 25th, 2025
Catalog Number 541416668183D
You must be logged in to post a comment.