Joy Anonymous album surprise released ahead of Hackney shows
British electronic duo Joy Anonymous have surprise released their body of work Us People (Source Material) alongside the new single JOY (Play Power) ahead of their second sold-out performance at Hackney Church this evening.
Us People (Source Material) comprises 16 tracks presented as demo versions built around finger-picked acoustic guitar, softly-sung falsetto vocals and thrumming hand percussion. The material functions as its own meditative pleasure that encourages listeners to turn inward and locate inner peace, serving as a precursor to the added weight and volume of the duo’s live shows.
New single JOY (Play Power) rests on grooving basslines and guitar melodies that underpin Hen’s smooth vocal performance and delivers euphoria together with optimism. The duo stated: “‘Play Power’ was written about how we get in our own way, and how we build mountains out of molehills that end up defining a period of our lives. Then sometimes a simple sentence, or a simple letting go, changes everything and makes us realise the big thing was never that big, even though it controlled us for so long. The title is a play on the idea that power is usually seen as big and dominating, when you can actually play with it and make it light-hearted.”
The single arrives with a music video that introduces Saya and her compelling story. JOY (Play Power) follows the earlier releases JOY (Shit You Make Me Feel) and JOY (Light In The Dark).
The releases coincide with the opening of the duo’s three-day residency at Hackney Church, which began last week with a sold-out show joined by New York-based artist MOTHERBOARD. A further sold-out concert takes place tonight, and overwhelming demand prompted the addition of a third sold-out date on 31st October at the East London venue.
These dates follow the duo’s sold-out London residency at The Jazz Cafe earlier this year. After the Hackney Church shows conclude, Joy Anonymous will open for Ezra Collective on the European leg of their headline tour.
The Us People (Source Material) version tracklist comprises JOY (Us People) Source, JOY (Normal Music) Source, JOY (Shit You Make Me Feel) Source, JOY (Pretend) Source, JOY (Play Power) Source, JOY (Love Conditions) Source, JOY (In My Life) Source, JOY (Your Sound) Source, JOY (Like My Brother) Source, JOY (Taking You High) Source, JOY (Light In the Dark) Source, JOY (Tombstone Jukebox) Source, JOY (Get There Too) Source, JOY (Nobody Ever) Source and JOY (Life Is Long) Source.
Joy Anonymous continues along a creative path defined by openness, spontaneity and togetherness that draws a growing audience into a shared world built around joy. Us People (Source Material) and JOY (Play Power) supply multiple entry points into the same creative world through initial sonic ideas and a new single that sharpens focus on what lies ahead.
