Establishing the mood with intricate drums and expansive chords with an astral strings arrangement, Mike and Mandy open Caught The Bug with a cerebral vocal design taking us on a metaphorical and thought-provoking journey with their prose.

The opus expands with clarity, and a trip-hop meets dark wave adjacent energy. Needless to say, we are mesmerized. The composition showcases nothing short of instrumental mastery and epic dynamism. The poetic prowess that the lyricism exudes feels refined, intellectually provoking and progressive, all whilst holding a sense of nostalgia and timelessness.

We appreciate the sound design nuances, and the genre defying nature of the piece, with fierce electric guitar moments, textured percussion, dramatic reposes, vocal harmonies from both creators and a vibrant and almost cosmic, ska-punk instrumental section that has us feeling inter-dimensional.

Fans of Hooverphonic, Portishead, Morcheeba and even Ariana Grande will be able to connect with Caught The Bug, although there is no doubt that Mike and Mandy are manifesting a universe of their own.

We learn that Caught The Bug is the second single to be released by Mike and Mandy following their debut EP, Shelter in Place. The duo confess that their intention for the track was to feel like an Oliver Stone movie, and “mash genres to achieve a sonic picture of a thoroughly modern relationship gone off the rails.”

Mike tells us with reference to Mandy’s exquisite songwriting, “I think the song’s lyrics speak for themselves, but the story the main character goes through; being unwittingly drawn in by a romantic partner who was even more drawn in by conspiracy theories, misinformation, and idol worship, is a fascinating journey. The heroine’s struggle, combined with the increasing intensity of the music, opened up many musical possibilities in terms of production.”

We absolutely love what the married duo create in harmony, and their spiritual connection through the medium of sound is tangible. We have added Caught The Bug to our New Music Spotlight playlist as well as our brand new TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream their wider discography, and the talented creators’ upcoming album.

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