Heard It Here First

New Zealand-based producer Ian Munro is back with his first release under his new alias munro, titled “Every Day (Is Always The Same),” out today on Quality Goods Records. This track, which features Harvest on vocals, marks a shift in sound for munro towards what he calls “future nostalgia.” Ian has been refining his sound in preparation for the rebrand to munro, and the quality shines through in this genre-melding piece of electronic artistry.

With “Every Day (Is Always The Same),” munro seamlessly blends the sounds of garage with indie electronic and indie-pop influences and stylistic choices. The intro and midsections feature bright, playful keys and gorgeous synths that interplay with Harvest’s thoughtful lyrics and catchy vocal melodies. The choruses feature a distorted and processed vocal overlaying a classic garage percussion section, accented by ambient synth keys and plucks that dance around the listener’s head.

The lyrics compliment the instrumental to seamlessly achieve the feeling of “future nostalgia” that munro and Harvest were aiming for with this one. Elements of the instrumental are cold and dry (intentionally), while others are more ambient, playful, and even majestic.

Similarly, the lyrics deal with feelings of malaise and melancholy, while offering a flavor of nostalgic hope; the vocal hooks and melodic patterns are catchy and upbeat. The juxtaposition of lyrical and musical themes throughout “Every Day (Is Always The Same)” showcases the pure artistry of both munro and Harvest, and their ability to bring out the best in the other is on full display here.

Here is what the artists had to say about their newest work:

“This song tackles the cycles of life, where every day just blends together and life begins to feel like it has no meaning; you just live in a constant rotation. I wanted this song to somehow celebrate that in a way, almost like a hopeful melancholy. That there are some little events that can come up (such as this collaboration with Ian) that make you feel like it’s okay, and that the cycles are still worth living through.” – Harvest

“To me, this project is a more refined vision. More clarity. A step away from ephemerality into something that straddles the familiar and the exciting. I’ve been drawing a lot of influence from people like Four Tet, Burial, Bon Iver, James Blake, Jamie xx, Flume, Lapalux, Ross from Friends, Caroline Polachek, Fred again.., + more. There’s a whole world of sound that’s so imbued with this overwhelming feeling of nostalgia — and as an artist that’s such an exciting world to play in.” – munro

After enduring the last few years of Covid, this track really spoke to us. How did it make you feel? Let us know in the comments below or on our socials!

Support munro on Socials: Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | SoundCloud | Facebook

Support Harvest on Socials: Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | SoundCloud

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