Justin Strauss Reimagines Kasper Bjørke’s “Tears We Haven’t Cried”

November 13, 2024

After the success of Kasper Bjørke’s Puzzles album earlier this summer, one of its standout tracks, “Tears We Haven’t Cried,” gets a fresh new remix by New York music legend Justin Strauss. With over 30 years of experience, Strauss brings his signature style to this emotional track.

The original, featuring Toby Ernest’s soulful vocals, stood out for its smooth groove and timeless appeal. In his remix, Strauss adds a punchy bassline and deep house beats, giving it a darker, late-night vibe. He also enhances the vocals with subtle effects, adding grit while keeping the song’s emotional heart intact.

The release includes an instrumental version for those who love pure grooves and an acapella version to play with Ernest’s haunting vocals.

An exclusive first listen to “Tears We Haven’t Cried (Justin Strauss Remix)” is available below. The track will be available on all streaming platforms via hfn music starting Friday, November 15th, at 12 AM.

Photography by Dennis Morton & The Lot Radio

Music

For Zac Farro, Going Solo Doesn’t Mean Going it Alone

December 18, 2023

Being in a band of any kind is an existence of compromise. Every decision, every success, every note of literally every song — they’re all navigated collectively as a group. Extensive time spent together further entangles each member, blurring the end of one person’s consciousness to the start of the next person’s. It’s easy to think that, for an artist, such deeply ingrained communal identities could be stifling. It’s why there is the trope, rampant especially amongst those we’ve deemed as rockstars, that underneath every popular band is a fight bubbling — between at least a few of the member — for sole creative control. Sting, in reference to departing the Police in pursuit of a solo career, once said that “there is no such thing as democracy in art”. Sting was wrong. Zac Farro is an example of what art can look like when the experience is shared.

Words by Izzi Sneider

What would become h alfnois e began simmering in the background of Farro’s subconscious long before he stepped away from Paramore in 2010, whether Farro knew it or not. “I’ve always liked tinkering with production. It started like a long time ago by just getting into recording stuff on my own and just sampling stuff,” Farro said. As his band’s popularity skyrocketed, personal projects took a back seat to commitments like Warped Tour and the Honda Civic Tour. Then he decided to leave.

“When I stepped away from Paramore for a few years, I went on a whole journey of not doing music. I lived in New Zealand for a few years and totally checked out,” Farro said. After his most formative years were marked by abrupt changes and rigorous touring schedules, it makes sense that Farro found himself back in America with a reinvigorated love for producing and recording music — the tools that represented a time before he first hopped into that first tour van. “I wanted to try riding it on my own because I had always been a part of bands. I just wanted to see if I could do it,” he said.

I wanted to try riding it on my own because I had always been a part of bands. I just wanted to see if I could do it.

For someone experienced the comradery of communal success and then the isolation of losing of community while deeply entrenched within the 2000s pop-punk space — a genre that champions themes of friendship, hometown pride, and local scenes within the lyrics — Farro’s emphasis on community even within songwriting and production should come as little surprise. There is a DIY, collaborative ethos derived from the genre’s punk precursors that has lingered within the scene in spite of the music industry’s influence as the scene reached its peak in popularity. Still, in a world like 2023, where every technological advancement and start-up app is meant to make our day to day lives as isolated as possible, Farro’s constant consideration of music as a collective is a dying language. Less people are joining bands. It’s significantly more affordable, in terms of both monetarily and socially, to produce beats alone in your bedroom than it is to get a band together. More and more often, we find ways to avoid leaning on those around us; halfnoise calls us back to a bygone era.

That isn’t to say that halfnoise is, in any way, a nostalgia play or sonically stagnant. Farro, along with the rest of the Paramore crew, has displayed an incredible knack for evolving gracefully, and successfully, in the public eye. While many artists fade to obscurity after drastic stylistic changes, Farro has made a career of constant change. No two halfnoise records sound alike. In fact, a cursory listen of the project’s discography serves as a detailed timeline of the various emotional and aesthetic states throughout the last decade of Farro’s life. City Talk ushers in the era of a 60’s surf rock inspired Farro, paired alongside an amped up version of the funk-inspired rhythm that has been a throughline in Farro’s work over the past few years. Along with the vibe shift, came new lyrical territories. “The last [record] was really personal. It was a love letter to my partner and falling in love, since I’ve always written about, you know, getting heartbroken,” he said. “I wanted [City Talk] to be a little bit more mysterious and a little less approachable.”

City Talk, like the version of Farro that wrote it, seems self-assured and at ease. The record represents an artist who has grown into themselves. “‘On My Way' is a coming of age song. After I turned 30, I was like, ‘Wow I’m finally who I am, who I’ve been chasing all my 20s,'” he said. Today, Farro is confident in his future, even when the future isn’t clear, and it’s apparent in the album. Listening to the tracks feels hopeful, introspective, proud. Where the lyrics are vague, the energy is encompassing. To portray such emotions through a pop record is a feat in itself, but a decade’s worth of halfnoise snapshots has accumulated into what may be the most holistic look into Farro’s psyche yet.

Music

DeepFaith Gives Us Some Sound Advice

The duo tells their story through traditions steeped in imagination — mythological beasts, future tech, avatars in Greek myths, spiritual sea gods, and sea shanties crafted by Japanese machines. They ground this tale through sound, performance, and communion. In their latest single, "Daddy," they explore the impact of the father figure on the collective, hoping to start conversations about vulnerability and mutual support on a more human level.

The two have a lot coming up — a limited run of a t-shirt collab with Total Luxury Spa, a Christmas song, and some exciting things in the works for 2024 — so stay tuned. They caught up with us over email to share some of the lessons they’ve learned when it comes to touring, staying focused and daddy issues.

How was tour?

Byron Spencer— For most people this is the first time hearing us or seeing us and the response was insane. It was also our first proper tour. It feels very exciting for us to start the DF journey & build the DF community.

Daniel Stricker— I loved driving through Oregon and northern California. I loved listening to music all day in the car. I loved playing shows every night. I didn’t love seeing the state of America at the moment :(

How do you get amped up for a show?

BS— A hot toddy. I like to dance a bit and just be in my body :)

Any post-show rituals?

BS— For the tour the ritualistic thing for me to do was get on the floor and start selling merch ;)

Check our their exclusive tour video and electro remix of "Daddy"

How did the name DeepFaith come about?

DS— We live in the era of fake news. We wanted to tell our story through mythological beasts and future tech; avatars in Greek myths; spiritual sea gods; and sea shanties made by Japanese machines. It’s all very personal but through fantasy, we can leave it to the audience to work out what is real or not, which in essence is kind of like the world we live in now. We came up with the name DeepFaith as a kind of religion to Deep Fakes. We also thought it looked good as a Netflix special.

Can you define ‘transcendental techno-utopianism’?

DS— A higher frequency that we can tap into by living through collective positive consciousness.

How do we get there?

DS— By getting rid of the distractions and focusing. By doing things that get you into the zone. For some people that’s through meditation or breathing. For others, it’s about maximal turbo overload of the senses; lasers, strobes, and fast frequencies can cause the body to be overloaded. I can relate to both. Hopefully, our music can take you to either of those zones.

Psychedelics?

Shrooms.

When you’re tripping, where are you?

Bare feet in grass or sand ideally….

Are you chronically online or off your phone?

BS— I am going through a real journey with my relationship to technology. About a year ago I was accepting my fate and succumbing to the concept of being half-man half-computer and acknowledging and accepting that the modern human is very much connected to a machine and being OK with that … I was addressing the fact that I had 3 lives. One physical, one mental, and one technological … However, NOW, I really want to experience life offline and off some of the machines … It’s hard and a step-by-step process but I think I am getting better (healthier).

DS— I use Opal. It regulates me. Well, at least my phone usage. But I am obsessed with new immersive music and tech — so I delve into virtual worlds and gaming engines, motion capture, and music production all day, but never too early or too late to mess with my body.

Growing up, did either of you watch The Holy Mountain?

BS— I have watched it and enjoy it but it isn’t on my mind often….

DS— Many, many times. I love how Jodorowsky builds worlds.

What inspires you visually?

BS— I am mostly inspired by nature. Visual reality.

DS— I believe Jon Rafman might be this fleeting generation’s zeitgeist, him and Xavier: Renegade Angel.

Who do you listen to?

BS— Honestly I listen to such a huge array of music … I kind of just curate my music to my mood. I am finding however the more turbo my life gets the more ambient and healing I need my music to get. I start most of my days with Indian Ragas.

DS— Goreshit. Townes Van Zandt. Doo Wop classics. Baroque techno. Camille Saint Saens' “Aquarium”.

What are the pros ... and cons ... of daddy issues?

BS— I think a pro is recognition. Our life is often rooted in a web of dysfunction that is inherited through family, and a huge part of life is seeking answers and solace, the father figure… the spirit… I think understanding any of these issues is a pro in finding singular solace. Cons… it can hurt a little.

Do they go away?

BS— I’m not sure yet.

On a serious note though, the emotional suppression boys experience from childhood to adulthood isn't talked about. To you, how does that influence the way we think?

BS— I generally think there is a large societal pressure on boys (and humans in general) to achieve a certain level of success in all aspects of life. I think it can be quite confusing and hard, especially as we build up guards to protect ourselves often disguised as a form of ego.

We all inherit emotional DNA and it should be talked about more and embraced. There should be more emphasis on being able to be truly vulnerable in the journey of life and to support each other more on a human level, for all genders and races … society is a construct that is not entirely real, but love and the human nervous system is very real and should be embraced and nurtured. If we start recognizing this emotional journey from childhood into adulthood it will create a more peaceful and nurturing environment for humans to be more accepting and accepting of themselves.

Music

ANGELIC MISSES: COUCOU CHLOE

December 13, 2023

The world has grappled with labeling COUCOU CHLOE’s music. While some may call it “club music,” dissenters argue against this category because of its rhythmic unconventionality. Much like her work, the French-born, London-based artist eludes precise descriptions. That’s why she lets her music do the talking.

In her latest album, FEVER DREAM, COUCOU CHLOE reaches deep into the recesses of her subconscious, exploring the muddled territory between dream and reality. It all starts with “DRIFT,” a track that captures the first breath of consciousness in the morning. From the pulsating beats to the provocative lyrics, “Let me figure out,” the album unfolds. It reaches its zenith with “NEVER (feat. Woesum),” adopting a slower, more sentimental approach to distill her life in music.

Interview by Meyme Nakash
Creative Direction by Rita de Rivera and Aine Marcó
Photography by Joseph Kadow
Styling by Aine Marcó
Hair by Dalibor Vrtina Hair
Makeup by Yulya Zalesskaya
Set Design by Rita de Rivera
Production by Momarohé
Modelling by Johan Goedkoop
Photography Assistance by Thomas Camarero
Fashion Assistance by Ana

FULL LOOK by LAURA ANDRASCHKO, JEWELRY by ALIZEE QUITMAN (right)

We sat down with her to chat about dreams, being on tour, and the nature of her practice. She's in Europe now, but possibly in the U.S. very soon so stay tuned!

FULL LOOK by MUGLER (left, bottom right)

COUCOU CHLOE wears HOODIE by BALENCIAGA, PANTS by GIO PEIRO from BISSOUS BISSOUS, SHOES by COPERNI (top right)

Do you ever find yourself having vivid dreams?

Definitely. Sometimes it’s very distinct, like a distorted reality; I can’t stop wondering, “Is this real?” Sometimes it’s crazy and other times it’s so subtle I start to think it’s a memory.

I know exactly what you mean. Speaking of memories, take me back to your first performance now that you're on tour. What do you remember?

That’s a good question. I remember there weren't a lot of people and I felt uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. It was a long time ago and I was just trying some new things on my laptop at my school. I don’t remember it very well. I mean, it’s a memory so it’s always going to be vaporous. It’s almost as if I dreamt it.

That feeling of waking up and not remembering your dream reminds me of the lyrics to “DRIFT” from your latest album.

I actually started that track ages ago. Well, like a couple years ago. I think it was at the same time I made the song “WIZZ.” They’re similar because they’re both club-driven. “DRIFT” has that same energy and rolling baseline.

COUCOU CHLOE wears T-SHIRT and DRESS by LAURA ANDRASCHKO, and SHOES by ASLAN WORLD

A lot of people label your work as “deconstructed club music.” Would you agree?

I don't know. When I make music, I don’t even really know what it means. It just flows out of me. Maybe people call it deconstructed because it doesn’t follow more classical rules of rhythms or whatever. I never really understood why people try so hard to label it.

It must be a weird experience for you to hear people’s feedback about your music.

That’s definitely true. I’ve heard so many times from people that my music is really dark. In my head it’s just like, “Wait, is this dark?” I’m never going to be able to hear my music the way other people hear it. And that’s cool with me. I like that.

For sure. Artists don’t usually concern themselves with labels or categories. They just create to create.

Right. You know, this is something I have a hard time with. It’s difficult for me to categorize my music into a genre because things are always blending. That’s why I don’t really worry about it. I know that a lot of people care, especially when it comes to booking a show, but I don’t know where I position myself. I try not to think about it so much.

That makes sense. You don’t like to limit yourself.

Exactly.

COUCOU CHLOE wears FULL LOOK by ACNE STUDIOS (left)

T-SHIRT and DRESS by LAURA ANDRASCHKO, SHOES by ASLAN WORLD (bottom right)

Is there a specific artist you looked up to while growing up?

I never really looked up to anybody. I feel inspired by Daniel Johnston. There’s also this band I really like called, “WEEN.” They take me back to when I started my interest in music before I had any technique, really. I felt free, like I could experiment with what I later called music.

How would you describe your style?

That’s a really good question. I don’t like to think so much about what I’m wearing. I just like to be comfortable and have the ability to move freely. Sometimes I get inspired by a specific piece, and just have fun with it. Fashion is instinctive for me.

I like that you called it “instinctive.” Is there something you like to do when you’re feeling stuck? Not about anything in particular, just stuck.

I like to acknowledge whatever I’m feeling without finding a resolution first. It’s really hard to give yourself time to process things but it’s important. I try to be patient.

How do you distract yourself?

Travel. I like to go back home and see my family in France. Sometimes it’s good to give yourself a break by going out with your friends for drinks. I also really like to eat.

What’s your favorite food?

Chinese food. There’s a lot of different types but I just really, really love Chinese food.

JOHAN wears HOODIE by COURREGES, PANTS by PARADIS, JEWELRY by ALIZEE QUITMAN

What’s on your mind right now?

So many things. I’ve been quite busy with the tour lately. I just really want to find the time to make new music soon.

That makes sense. Ok, I know you’re probably sick of this question by now, but where does your name come from?

It’s funny because I never knew that my name was associated with being crazy. In France, you say “Coucou!” like you say hi to someone. When I realized that people thought I was calling myself crazy, I was like, “Oh shit.” I was very cringed out, but yeah, it means hi and my brother made me a musical card once for my birthday and it sang, “Happy Birthday Coucou!” It was really fucking catchy, to be honest. My friends started hearing it and then I became “COUCOU CHLOE.”

I love that. I know you’re in Europe now, but do you think you’ll make it to the U.S. soon?

Oh, absolutely. Two of my favorite shows I ever played were in New York and Los Angeles. I didn’t stay in either city very long, it was sort of in-and-out.

How would you describe New York?

Hectic, but I liked it a lot!

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