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Shelf Lives discuss debut album 'Hypernormal' and new single.
The air crackles with that particular brand of chaotic energy only Shelf Lives can conjure, a sensation familiar to anyone who’s witnessed their incendiary live shows or devoured their earlier EPs. Now, the London-based duo—a formidable pairing of Sabrina Di Giuliantonio and Rob Sun—are poised to unleash their debut album, 'Hypernormal', a project they describe with a wry, knowing grin as something akin to 'an episode of ‘South Park’ or ‘GTA’ but it’s become real life.' This isn't just a clever soundbite; it's the entire thesis of their art. In a world that feels increasingly like a glitched-out simulation, where absurdity is the baseline and genuine connection is a rare commodity, Shelf Lives aren't just commenting on the noise—they're weaponizing it, turning the dissonance into a blistering, danceable catharsis.Their new single, '2PhoneS', arrives with an exclusive music video that perfectly encapsulates this aesthetic, a visual feast of jarring cuts, saturated colors, and a palpable sense of digital-age anxiety. It’s a track that buzzes with the frantic energy of managing multiple identities, the ping of notifications transformed into a percussive assault, a theme that resonates deeply in an era where our worth is so often measured in likes and shares.Speaking with them, it becomes clear that 'Hypernormal' is more than a collection of songs; it's a curated experience, a guided tour through the funhouse mirrors of modern existence. They push back, with justified vehemence, against the lazy critique that they're not 'a real band'—a charge often levelled at electronic duos who don't fit the traditional guitar-bass-drums mold.This dismissal ignores the raw, physical power of their performance, the meticulous craft behind their distorted synths and razor-sharp lyrics, and the very real, sweat-drenched communion they forge with their audiences. They are as real as it gets, precisely because they reflect the fractured reality we all inhabit.The album’s title, borrowing from anthropologist Alexei Yurchak’s concept describing the Soviet Union’s final years—where everyone knew the system was failing but pretended it was fine—feels terrifyingly apt for our own times. We scroll through curated perfection while the planet burns, we engage in performative outrage online while feeling increasingly powerless offline.Shelf Lives aren’t offering easy answers from some detached, intellectual high ground; they’re down in the muck with us, screaming into the void and finding a bizarre, exhilarating rhythm in the collapse. This is the sound of staying sane in profoundly crazy times, not by ignoring the chaos, but by diving headfirst into it and emerging with something defiantly, brilliantly alive.For fans who have followed their journey from the early, gritty releases, 'Hypernormal' represents a monumental leap in production and thematic ambition, a full-length statement that consolidates their signature sound while fearlessly expanding its boundaries. It’s the work of artists who have fully found their voice and are using it not just to sing, but to jolt us awake.
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