We Speak Music

OWN DEVICES Deliver Masterful Tune ‘Blue Light’

Published

2 years ago

July 30, 2024

The creative team behind the British music group OWN DEVICES, Daniel Bond and Tarik Khan, have officially released their most recent track, “Blue Light,” which represents a critical turning point in their creative development. This song exemplifies the duo’s unique style, which is defined by a complex fusion of R&B, indie rock, and psychedelic rock.

A captivating combination of falsetto vocals and a sumptuous musical arrangement ushers listeners into a lush, multilayered sensory experience as soon as “Blue Light” starts. The production of the song has a silky, seductive aspect, fusing indie, pop, and R&B elements into a unified soundtrack. With a dynamic blend of mellotron, guitar, percussion, bass guitar, and drums, the tune creates a calming and captivating audio experience.

The song “Blue Light” explores themes of procrastination and the ubiquitous effect of digital displays on modern life. Its lyrical substance matches its musical creation. According to OWN DEVICES, the song is “an ode to procrastination and the modern struggle of losing ourselves in the allure of endless digital distractions and the captivating glow of screens.” This contemplation of modern difficulties provides a powerful and compelling critique in a world where technology is becoming more and more dominant.

OWN DEVICES establishes themselves as a group to be watched while also showcasing their flexibility on “Blue Light”. This release demonstrates their inventiveness and establishes a high standard for their next works. There’s no denying that Daniel Bond and Tarik Khan are destined for further success in the music business as long as they keep pushing the envelope and discovering new musical lands.

More from We Speak Media:

We Speak Folk

Happy Sad Unveils Cinematic Video for New Single “Changeable”

Published

39 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

We Speak Media

Ambient folk project Happy Sad has released the music video for “Changeable,” a track from the album The World Is Grand When We See, out now via Epictronic.

Built as a post-classical piece, “Changeable” moves through Eastern-inspired scales and instrumentation, unfolding with constant variation in mood and structure. The composition reflects a clear focus on contrast and movement, with musical ideas shifting rapidly rather than settling into repetition.

The track was originally developed under the working title “NHK Taiga Drama Style,” inspired by the orchestral openings of Japanese historical dramas. Those themes, known for their intricate arrangements and frequent shifts, shaped the piece’s structure — each section was designed to evolve quickly, creating a sense of changing scenery within a short runtime.

Happy Sad describes the writing process as a long-held idea that stayed unused for some time, originally envisioned for potential outside projects. When no fitting context emerged, it was developed independently into its final form, keeping the original concept intact: a composition built around transition, motion and emotional variation. The result is a focused, cinematic work that connects ambient folk sensibilities with post-classical orchestration and subtle Eastern influences.

Happy Sad is the solo project of Hiroaki Kusano, a Japanese artist and sound professional based in the game industry. He began making music during his student years, playing café bar gigs and recording demos. His influences take in soul, British rock, folk, trip hop, neoclassical, world music and film scores, alongside a strong connection to literature, and his recordings balance live instrumentation with programmed elements. To date, Happy Sad has released seven albums and 19 EPs.

Outside the project, Kusano has around 14 years of experience as a sound designer and sound director in the games industry, contributing to more than 60 projects at companies including NetEase Games, FunPlus, NHN PlayArt and Noisycroak Inc. In 2013, his track “Everyday” won the domestic DJ category and reached the finals of MTV and Lenovo’s CO:LAB contest. In recent years, he has travelled across ten countries in search of sounds and traditional instruments — and the encounters along the way have shaped his approach to music as a form of shared human expression.

The World Is Grand When We See is out now via Epictronic. Stream the album here: https://orcd.co/twgwws — and connect with Happy Sad at happysadsong.com and on Instagram @happysad_kusano.

Photo: Epictronic Records