We Speak Music
Tainted Youth Unveils New Single ‘Drifting Away’
London duo Tainted Youth aren’t just playing with genres—they’re making them cry. “Drifting Away”, their latest single, blends pop’s emotional immediacy with the sleek fluidity of Liquid D&B, creating something that feels as suited to a club as it does to a midnight sob-session. It’s a rare feat: music that thumps with urgency but hits like a memory.
Ryan Hall and Kathleen Down, the brains behind the beats, have a well-documented DIY ethic, having crafted this entire track from their living room. But don’t expect bedroom-pop scrappiness here—“Drifting Away” sounds big. Ethereal synth pads float above shimmering breaks, while Kathleen’s vocals feel like they’re pouring straight out of a diary and into your headphones.
The real kicker? This song started life eight years ago—back when the pair barely knew each other. The fact that it’s only just seen the light of day adds a quiet poignancy to the lyrics, which speak of letting go, falling apart, and maybe finding peace in the process. There’s something poetic about a song about drifting finally coming home.
Fans of Hybrid Minds or even Fred again.. will find familiar emotional terrain here, but Tainted Youth manage to keep things personal. There’s no faceless production or anonymous features—it’s all them, all heart. The track feels like a timestamp of a friendship, a collaboration, and a healing process all in one.
With “Drifting Away”, Tainted Youth aren’t just releasing music—they’re inviting you into their past, present, and future. And honestly? You’d be daft not to dive in.
We Speak Music
Christian Balvig releases gorgeous new album ‘Find And You Will Seek’ in collaboration with Ensemble Hermes.
Acclaimed composer and arranger Christian Balvig is known for his work with an array of artists and bands like Jade, Efterklang, Lowly, When Saints Go Machine and Mew, as well as his work with some of the most acclaimed orchestras like Royal Northern Sinfonia (BBC Proms), The Royal Danish Orchestra, Copenhagen Phil, London Contemporary Orchestra, The Danish Radio Broadcast Orchestra and The Norwegian Wind Ensemble.
The cinematic sound on his new album might echo Balvig’s work in the world of film and TV music. Scoring the 2025 Oscar shortlisted short movie ‘Eternal Father’ and the Danish hit series ‘Cry Wolf’ (Ulven Kommer), which has been shown on television in more than 30 countries around the globe, including Channel 4 in the UK. He was also nominated for a Harpa award for ‘Best score’ last year at the Berlinale for ‘The Son and the Moon (Min Arv Bor I Dig)’.
Balvig’s new album, ‘Find And You Will Seek’, backed by Danish string group Ensemble Hermes, grew organically out of this background of experiences and is music that appeals to listeners seeking original, immersive music with space for reflection and contemplation.
‘Find And You Will Seek’ is a collection of chamber works that explore the combination of piano and strings in new ways. Recent single ‘The BirdSuite II – Praesentia’ is part of a 3-part Suite running throughout the record, written and performed on a custom made “Keybird” piano, which is an una-corda (one string pr note) piano that gives a more subtle and intimate sound. On top of it is a lush and emotional string ensemble arrangement with Ensemble Hermes in multiple layers fluctuating in and out of the keybird piano.
Balvig’s second single from the record is ‘What Happened To The World’, an ultra transparent neo-classical inspired piece, with slow melodic structures, a simple chord progression and emotional performance starting with a floating viola solo. It is written from the feeling that the world sometimes goes backwards, and you feel left on the platform wanting to take the train in a different direction.
From film music inspired pieces to experimental chamber music over piano concerto inspired movements, to more neo-classical productions with almost orchestral sounding dubs of strings, ‘Find And You Will Seek’ flows with emotions and lush sound worlds, always with a tangible organic texture.
Find Christian Balvig and Ensemble Hermes on tour in Denmark:
27.5 Ansgars Kirke (Odense)
28.5 Folkegaarden Festival (Aalborg)
29.5 Gnisten (Ry)
30.5 Musikhuset (Aarhus)
1.6 Basement (Copenhagen)
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