Alt-Electronic duo Vaarwell Redefine Heartbreak on their Cinematic New Single ‘Undine’
Lisbon-born, London-based duo Vaarwell return with their evocative new single ‘Undine’, out now via Disorder.
The track is the second release from their forthcoming debut mixtape ‘3AM On The Northern Line’, arriving later this year, and follows the success of ‘Corinthia II‘ featuring Jeshi, which earned praise from Rolling Stone UK, Wonderland, GRM Daily and Notion amongst others.
An emotional and cinematic follow-up to both ‘Corinthia’ and ‘Corinthia II’, ‘Undine’ finds Vaarwell exploring heartbreak through myth and metaphor. Driven by crisp breakbeats, shimmering pads and ethereal vocals, the song channels the ache of betrayal and self-awareness through the lens of the mythical Undine – a water nymph who gains a human soul through love but loses her immortality. “Lyrically, it’s basically my version of Jolene,” says vocalist Margarida, “about someone mourning the loss of a love they can’t win.”
Speaking on the creation of ‘Undine’, Vaarwell explain: “Undine began as a rough, last-ditch idea – born in the final 30 minutes of a studio session in Lisbon, when we were just trying to write something. All we had were four vocoder vocal lines, mostly gibberish, except for one phrase that stuck: “she could be someone I’m not”. It was later developed in our studio in London and that phrase became the seed of a song about watching someone you love drift away toward someone else, powerless to stop it. Undine, a mythical water nymph with a captivating voice, became our metaphor for the “other woman”: beautiful, captivating, and impossible to rival.”
Opening with the line “Set fire to the sea, she could be someone I’m not,” Undine unfolds into a swirl of melancholy textures and airy sound design, bridging the duo’s love of UK post-dubstep, garage and indie electronica. Where ‘Corinthia II’ pulsed with late-night energy, ‘Undine’ moves with faster, breaksy urgency – a track suited for quiet introspection or strobe-lit solitude.
The single continues to expand the immersive world of ‘3AM On The Northern Line’ – a love letter to British dance music and the duality of nightlife. Written and produced in their southeast London home studio, the mixtape reflects the experience of moving from Lisbon to London in 2020, just as the city’s nightlife fell silent. As it reawakened, Vaarwell found inspiration in the rebirth of its underground club culture, channeling that energy into music made for after the night out – intimate, reflective, and raw.
Their self-curated ‘Flight Patterns’ live residency at Bermondsey Social Club continues in November, with the next edition taking place next month on Thursday 27th November, tickets are on sale now here. Following their sold-out September debut, the night sees Vaarwell reimagining their studio productions live – Ricardo translating intricate beats on stage while Margarida manipulates vocals through FX pedals and vocoders – a performance that has quickly marked them out as one of London’s most captivating new electronic acts.
Vaarwell – comprised of Margarida Falcão and Ricardo Nagy – have found their sound after sonic experimentation at the intersection of emotion and electronica. Originating from contrasting musical worlds of folk and punk, they met while studying music production in Lisbon, bonding over their shared love of British post-dubstep artists like James Blake, Mount Kimbie and SBTRKT. Their name, meaning “farewell” in Dutch, symbolises both departure and renewal – themes that run throughout their music. Having relocated to London, their forthcoming mixtape ‘3AM On The Northern Line’ captures the duality of that move: the chaos and calm, the solitude and connection, and the beauty found between both.
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