Lasse Matthiessen brings ‘Stranger Things’ synth vibes with new single ‘Emotional’
Lasse Matthiessen reinvents himself – from a singer-songwriter who could have happily followed in Nick Drake’s footsteps, the Dane transforms into an organic electro-indie-pop act who, with his remarkable deep, knowing vocal, conjures up hyperrealistic moments of the human experience.
Lasse has demonstrated his great songwriting talent with his previous releases – while he wrote contemplative indie folk to perfection on his first albums and concentrated on reduced arrangements, he retired for the EP “When We Collided” from 2017 back to darker pop realms.
The single of the same name “When We Collided” from 2017 developed into a sophisticated underground hit: the song was streamed more than 900,000 times, was featured in the New Music Friday Germany & Switzerland playlists, and its electro-folky DNA was considered Lasse Matthiessens from then on signature sound.
In 2021 he took a first step towards transforming to the more electronic, darker side. With the EP “Coordinates Remain” Lasse Matthiessen discovered a new keyboard of the sound landscape for himself: powerful, filtering basses create an atmosphere as if you were dancing empty and still high from the emotions of the night in front of a Berlin club on the steps, while the sun rises. The move from acoustic guitar to sophisticated synthpop began.
With his upcoming new album ’Dreams’, slated for a winter 2022 release, he deliberately crosses the border to electronica with complete assurance. He composes shimmering indie pop with organic synths, electronic beats and velvety basses that lives and dances in the nocturnal streets of Europe.
The lines “You’re playing with the fabric of time,” the opening lyrics of his single “Emotional,” illustrate Lasse’s elegant dexterity, using poetic and simple words to create sophisticated, mature lyrics. The song thrives on a modern, sensuous-driven electronic production that beats with an 80’s heart: as if there’s a hint of a “Stranger Things” reference hanging over the composition and a constant gloom seeping into the track – contrasted by Lasse’s intimate baritone voice.
Lasse says of the track: “I wrote ‘Emotional’ in Hamburg after a concert. It was created by the neon lights of the night, the noise, the sweat, the beat and the pumping pulse in the Reeperbahn neighborhood. It came from everything that you can’t control in your life… and then comes the chorus where I shut out all noise and sing while sitting next to the listener’s ear: ‘I get so emotional and I can’t seem to control myself.”
Lasse Matthiessen is Danish, lives in Berlin and has toured almost everywhere in Europe. He has performed at various festivals and played as support for Clueso, Anna Calvi, Glen Hansard and Suzanne Vega.
