21/05/2025

LYFE WEDNESDAY | MAY 21, 2025

FOLLOW

ON YOUTUBE

26

Malaysian Paper

Laufey’s jazzy comeback

/theSunMedia /

G RAMMY-WINNING Icelandic-Chinese artiste, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Laufey has announced her new album A Matter of Time , set for release on Aug 22. Accompanying the news, Laufey debuts the album’s new single Tough Luck, which can be streamed on all major platforms. Laufey explained: “ Tough Luck is a fiery song about love gone wrong. I wanted to reveal an angrier side of myself – a side that this unfortunate relationship brought out in me.” Last month, she teased the album release with a first sampling of Silver Lining , which she performed with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil at Coachella last month, as well as during her headline set at New Orleans Jazz Fest. Now on A Matter of Time , Laufey further crystalises her singular sound – one still rooted in her beloved influences, but forgoes any strict standards or rules. “I am constantly thinking about classical and jazz, how to properly preserve them and pay homage. For this album, I just wanted to let my heart wander,” said the singer. To that end, she teamed with a pair of co-producers, one comforting and familiar: Spencer Stewart who worked with Laufey on her first two albums – and one new to her but deeply attuned to artistes looking to open up: Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran). Feeling sonically unrestrained gave Laufey the space to share new Thus, local (and many abroad) music fans were left in tears at the sight of hundreds of vinyl records and CDs destroyed by flames when Varmt Stal Helvete was destroyed in a blaze last week. The adjoining jam studio was also completely razed. Located on first floor of a shop lot in Taman Medan Maju Jaya, Petaling Jaya, it was left a charred ruin after a fire broke out on May 10. Luckily, no one was hurt in the incident, which was brought under control by 18 fire personnel from three stations. An electrical short circuit is believed to be the cause of the fire. Varmt Stal Helvete did not just provide a retail focal point for local metal heads, but also served as a fledgling record label. It was named after the legendary record shoppe operated by the late Eurynomyous in 1991 in Oslo, Norway, with the European store later renamed Nesebled Records following its founder’s murder. Eerily, the Oslo store also burnt down in April 2024. “After serving and sharing extreme music stuff with all of you guys for more than six years, the entire structure has been consumed by flames. “In just a few minutes, the entire Varmt Stal Helvete had been destroyed by fire. The place had been emptied and there had been nothing left behind,” a statement revealed on

o Icelandic-Chinese artiste to release new album sides of herself while exploring heavier themes. “People expect a pretty facade of girly clothes, fantastical stories and romantic music. “This time, I was interested in seeing how I could draw out the most flawed parts of myself and look at them directly in the mirror,” she confessed. A Matter of Time finds Laufey at her most daring – and also playful – as she captures the experience of “real love” in its many forms and what it means to observe as it strips you down to your most vulnerable and anxious. As Laufey began to craft A Matter of Time , she felt freer than ever. An artiste who pours her life experiences into her work, she infused 2022’s Everything I Know About Love with coming-of-age tales revolving around leaving home, and for 2023’s Grammy winning Bewitched, she dove headlong into young love. Brought to life with sweeping orchestral

arrangements, interwoven strains of bossa nova and jazz, and Laufey’s honeyed alto, those albums cemented her as a star who can make sounds from bygone eras feel timeless. Laufey is a 25-year-old artiste who writes songs inspired by jazz greats and classical masters while possessing a point of view that could only be conveyed by a 21st-century twentysomething. “My goal is to bring jazz and classical music to my generation through a more accessible road,” she explained. Raised between Reykjavik and Washington, D.C., she learned piano and cello as a child, later studying at Berklee College of Music. She wrote her debut EP in 2021, Typical of Me , whose striking single Street by Street debuted at number one on Icelandic Radio – the first of many achievements that have grown to include five billion global streams. She also has 25 million followers on social media, biggest jazz LP debut in Spotify history, album in Billboard’s Top 20 (both for Bewitched ), growing pile of Platinum plaques, Forbes 30 Under 30 designation and being named one of Time magazine’s

Her new album is scheduled to be out on Aug 22.

2025 Women of the Year. She has sold out the Hollywood Bowl, Radio City Music Hall and London’s Royal Albert Hall – performed backed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra and China Philharmonic Orchestra. More recently, Laufey announced The Laufey Foundation, with the primary mission of supporting young

musicians with the resources they need, especially through youth orchestras, to reach their full potential. Following her sold-out shows across Asia last year – including Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan and Taipei – Laufey continues to make waves in the region, further cementing her status as a global sensation.

Korean band Se So Neon drops fresh tune

Blaze destroys local music shop in Petaling Jaya BRICK and mortar music emporiums are a rarity these days, more so one that specialises in niche segments such as punk, metal or alternative acts. Ű BY R.BALA

SOUTH Korea’s indie band Se So Neon has made its return, crafting a new musical identity with its new release Twit Winter . A vibrant indie rock anthem, the tune is among the group’s latest efforts to display its musical influences – varying from blues and psychedelic rock to new wave and synth-pop. Co-produced by its frontwoman Soyoon and American producer Kenny Gilmore, Twit Winter sees Soyoon grapple with her mortality while questioning the longstanding legacy of her creations. “That thought made me want to leave behind questions for the past and future, sensations I would still want to share, signals and traces that might survive the years. “I imagine myself, aged, singing this song. And so I decided to create a kind of time capsule, through music and image,” said Soyoon. The music video, therefore, became an experimental extension of this concept, acting as a time capsule for future Soyoon to revisit in 2065. Throughout watching “present” Soyoon in various scenarios, a white box remains present. It marks the designated spot that Soyoon of the future will occupy. Formed in 2016, Se So Neon is no stranger to acclaim and

Varmt Stal Helvete has been completely consumed by fire on May 10.

Se So Neon’s frontwoman Soyoon. commercial success, having won Rookie of the Year and Best Rock Song of the Year at the Korean Music Awards. Additionally, the band was selected as the only South Korean band for YouTube Music’s global artiste development program, YouTube Music Foundry. As for its commercial success, the band has over 145 million global streams to date. Its popularity is reflected in its strong Southeast Asian fanbase, with countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Taipei and Malaysia ranking among its top global listeners.

The shop, known for its quality selection of extreme metal, has provided a retail focal point for local metal heads. – PICS FROM FACEBOOK @VARMTSTALHELVETE its social media.

Helvete will recover and reconvene but many have expressed their hope that this specialist shop will rise from the ashes soon. It is hoped it can bounce back from this major setback.

A very sad day indeed for music collectors, especially those who relied on this shop to sate their thirst for the noisier end of the musical spectrum. There are no details yet if Varmt Stal