Indie lo-fi is a varied wild west of a genre. It takes the ideals of contemporary hip-hop and blends them with the cutting edge of synthetic tuning. The resulting sound does not have a counterpart in 2020s pop, it is a creature all its own. ‘Combien’ from La Biche is one such song, a lo-fi indie single that takes an idea and compresses it into a gemstone. The sound is subtle, cool, confident. It finds ways to hold itself aloft in the thick dark. Bass monsters toil and broil underfoot as high melodies find their way into your mind space. Vocal layers crowd the world, they are soft, keeping the beasts at bay. But there is a gap. A pacing bass line comes right at you and sweeps you off your feet.
‘Combien’ merges the scale of hip-hop with the chill vibes of lo-fi. Because of this, the sound is soothing in parts but has an underlying sinister touch. There is more going on in the darkness, more than we mortals will ever see and far more than La Biche will divulge. This single is an electrical experience. It builds you up and knocks you down. All with the style and poise of a relentless angel. A perfect story, all wrapped up in a sonic bow. Irresistible.
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