Tekla Vály
“A great duo that we like to describe as the Finnish Portishead.” Chris Hawkins, BBC6 Radio
Helsinki-based, dark electronic duo Phantom announce their new single ‘Shadows’, due for release on December 4th through VILD Recordings.
Phantom is the haunting project of singer-songwriter Hanna Toivonen and producer/sound designer Tommi Koskinen, who have been creating cinematic, jazz-influenced trip-hop and electronic-inflected alternative pop since 2012.
New single ‘Shadows’ possesses the distinctive charm and depth of their previous releases but also marks a progression in the band’s sound, with Toivonen’s captivating vocals fluttering above lurking, sinister synth tones. The track builds and morphs as Koskinen’s drum patterns gradually become more prominent, before the tension is released with a vibrant flurry of keys and sampled patterns.
The pair’s first release was the beautiful single, ‘Scars’, the video for which has now amassed over 175,000 views on Youtube, and was featured on the Majestic Casual channel. Its success swiftly led to them performing at a variety of festivals around Europe, including Flow Festival in their native Finland and Ireland’s Electric Picnic, along with playing coveted support slots for both Bonobo and SOHN in Helsinki. Their single ‘Kisses’ only furthered the outfit’s reputation, earning the respect of The xx, as well as that of Edith Bowman, who featured the track as the “Blogger’s Choice” on her BBC Radio 1 Review show, saying it made her feel like she’d been “hugged by the sky”.
The single is being released by VILD Recordings, a new Helsinki-based music company run collectively by Finnish indie artists, whose mutual, forward-thinking ideology makes them the perfect partners for Phantom. As the duo explain: “it really supports our DIY mindset that has been present since day one of Phantom. VILD collective is a great example of rethinking the artist’s role in the fast changing music industry culture.”
A stunning example of the band’s unstoppable talent, as well as that of the current high calibre of Finland’s musical exports, ‘Shadows’ is a single that is sure to win the adoration of yet more fans, and reinstate them as a class act for the already converted.
‘There’s a lot to love about formally trained jazz singer Hanna Toivonen and beat-maker Tommi Koskinen, not least their ability to turn creeping, nocturnal electronica that could be coolly standoffish in lesser hands, into big, heartfelt ballads you want to curl up and cry in.’ The Guardian
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