Our obsession with SLAPPER seems to grow with every listen, we previously featured the visionary artist for channelling retro-futurism and nocturnal euphoria on his dimensional single, Disco Decoder, so when we heard that SLAPPER was back with Look at Me, our interest was piqued, and we couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
Look at Me opens with a dimensional and cosmic 8-bit energy featuring a rising synth and cerebral yet melodic motifs. The opus expands with hypnotic manifestations of the title of the track, leading us through to a more introspective lead vocal. We experience introspective and reflective lyrics laced with poetic prowess as SLAPPER takes us on a journey of emotional disconnection, exploring what happens when we are close yet far away.
There is a very relatable message of longing here. It works on an interpersonal level, but also a more expansive level with the universe. To be seen, to be heard, to feel that we matter. Sometimes we can spend so much of our lives searching for recognition and validation in another person that we lose sight of ourselves, and our connection with source.
The dynamics of the song are sublime. We know from his previous work that SLAPPER is a masterful producer. We love the way the song manifests with expressive synths of the ’80s, the euphoric spirit of ’90s Eurodance and the electro and trance energy of the 2000s. It feels genre expansive and unique whilst also holding its own sonically with a high emotional resonance.
We are particularly intrigued by the three different versions. The Original Mix offers the full journey, the Radio Edit gets straight to the heart of the song, while the darker 3AM Mix takes us into a more atmospheric, nocturnal dimension.
For fans of Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Robert Miles, Moby and Chicane, there is plenty to connect with. We can imagine Look at Me landing sync placements in films like Neon Demon, Drive, Lost in Translation, Blade Runner 2049, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Midnight in Paris. On television, it could sit well in a show like Severance, Mr. Robot, Euphoria, The OA or Black Mirror.
Needless to say, we are completely drawn into SLAPPER‘s sonic universe. Look at Me reminds us that even in our most disconnected moments, the desire to find our way back to ourselves never really disappears. Sometimes all we need is to feel seen again. We have added Look at Me to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of SLAPPER, and anticipate future releases.