Revered experimental duo Ivy Lab have signaled the start of a new artistic era with “Balaclava,” the first single from their forthcoming project: Infinite Falling Ground. Challenging preconceived notions of an Ivy Lab release, the track is an audiovisual experience that alchemizes sadness with the surreal. Melancholic synths swirl through thudding percussive kicks and soulful vocals hauntingly float across the atmosphere. Visions of passionately dancing bodies, suffocated faces, and the specter of death creep across the screen into a stark conclusion. It’s Ivy Lab at their most elevated, conjuring up the subtleties of their subversive electronic roots.

Behind the concept of their next record, Ivy Lab explains, “Infinite Falling Ground is an ode to arguments… It’s the residual regret from moments of passive aggression, an exploration of non-apologies, and a confrontation with the unfairness we’re failing to achieve catharsis after. 

We’re not known to bear our hearts on our sleeve, certainly not in our online footprint, and not often through our music. Much of our previous work is born of a whimsical combination of abstract studio-luck & DJ booth fixation. And whilst most if not all of these tracks began life under that same ‘caught-a-vibe’ form of design, they were completed with much heavier expectations. It might be our first body of work that escapes the gravity of our own imposter syndromes.

In January 2022 under the cloud of both of our own distinct crises, we both revealed some deeply held secrets to one another about our habits. By March this LP was written…”  

As for its lead single, they continue “‘Balaclava’ is the calling card for the whole project. It’s the centre ground amongst all the different cultural, emotional and sonic touchstones we’ve ended up navigating between across the LP. It’s sombre, uplifting, arrogant and needy all at the same time. She sings ‘I offer you my sweet devotion’ but I don’t think she really means it.” 

Firmly established as heavy-hitters in the global electronic scene, Ivy Lab (Gove Kidao and J Fogel) bonded over a shared love for left-field bass and hip-hop, arriving at a singular sound that began to gestate in the late ‘00s. Over the years, they’ve released a swath of acclaimed albums and EPs, officially remixed Flying Lotus and toured with Flume, and performed at the likes of Coachella and Red Rocks. They’re also the masterminds behind Twenty Twenty London, a multidisciplinary label and event series that has brought together contemporary dancers, visuals artists, and musicians to the tune of praise from Mixmag and Timeout London. With creatives ranging from Amon Tobin to Ryan Hemsworth and Sega Bodega gravitated into the TW/TW orbit, Ivy Lab have proven themselves to be curators and tastemakers as much as they are creators of an enthralling sonic universe. That universe continues to expand with “Balaclava” out now.