Declaring that you didn’t exist before you met someone else seems a rather sad conclusion. But yet, a truth rings through that train of thought as we ourselves recall all the moments in life when we’ve felt like we couldn’t breathe without the love of our lives. Falling in love is a life changing experience, and everything that came before pales in comparison to the emotions and euphoria we feel when mired in that state of mind. I guess you can call it puppy love, or youthful, dewy affection, all of which FRND has captured to the tee on the koala-loving Los Angeles producer’s new electronic pop ballad, Before U I Didn’t Exist, a radiant and chromatic hymnal permeated with much of his usual aerated charm and electro-charged dynamics. Imagine if Owl City went more dance kinetic, with a dusting of glitchy Porter and a sprinkle of Skrillex’s more restrained, melodic offerings (not the heavy hitting, harsh wobbling stuff), and you might arrive at this gem.
FRND says of the animated visuals accompanying the single: “In the video for Before U I Didn't Exist, I wanted to capture the concept of forgetting the person you were before someone came into your life. I wanted the aesthetic to be a desolate, post-apocalyptic robot future, influenced by my favorite video game, Fallout 4. The robot koala (or as I call him, ‘KoalaBot’) represents the emotions of someone bringing a feeling to your life that you didn't know you were capable of. Once he sees the light and joy the person has brought him, he is willing to sacrifice anything for their well-being." Before U I Didn’t Exist is the title track from FRND’s next EP, out on Crooked Paintings / BMG come September 28th. Stream his music on Spotify, here.
