Melbourne’s Close Counters Share Euphoric New Single ‘Up & Out’

Melbourne-based electronic duo Close Counters have shared their vibrant and energetic new track ‘Up & Out‘. Showcasing their diverse soundscape at the crossroads of house, disco and neo-soul, ‘Up & Out’ harnesses the beauty of an 8-person choir, featuring Abbey Howlett, Tiana Khasi, Tram Cops, Warrigo Tyrell (WAARI), Allysha Joy and Chloe Sanger. The track is Close Counters at their euphoric best, with dancefloor-ready production fusing slinky bass lines (courtesy of Hiatus Kaiyote’s Paul Bender), swirling synths and intricate percussion. The hypnotising accompanying visuals were created by Close Counters’ own Finn Rees

On the creative process behind the single, Finn and Allan of Close Counters share; ‘Up & Out was something that started in a studio in Coburg at the end of 2019 and went on to be something we worked on through 112 days of lockdown. There’s no way we could have gotten through it all without our incredible collection of friends and community here in Melbourne. Some of those friends were our support network and sounding board that eventually went on to feature in the 8 person choir group that you can hear throughout the track. Everyone recorded their vocals from their makeshift studio setups and let us piece together the puzzle, creating something positive through a really tough time’.

Since their relocation from Hobart to Melbourne a few years ago, Close Counters have made a great impact on the Melbourne music scene, with creative prowess at the forefront of their work. From the music to the video clips and artwork, Finn Rees is the force behind the artistic production and direction of their new releases, while Allan McConnell’s uncontainable creativity and passion for cinema and records sees him delving deep through old films and vinyl for samples and rare grooves. The duo’s previous bodies of work, including SOULACOASTA (2018) and Refractions (2019), have garnered support from tastemakers including BBC Radio, triple j and KEXP, while expanding their creative outputs with an impressive back catalogue of remixes. Close Counters have supported the likes of Sofi Tucker, Roland Tings and Tall Black Guy, ticked off bucket-list festivals Splendour In The Grass and Falls Festival, all the while collecting millions of streams and cementing their status as one of Australia’s hottest house and soul exports.