Of course, any mention of the word “easy” and the genre R&B causes the mind to centre on the Commodores’ breezy breakup anthem of the same name – and whose own muscularity stems from an unusually primal, Lionel Richie groan. SuperParka (a.k.a. Simon and Paco) opt for a tom-heavy feel that mixes sinew and sweat, as if Prince’s “1999” really were the end of a world and the future/sex of Jai Wolf and Miguel were the reboot.
Akira – a dystopian epic released in 1988 – surprisingly dovetails with the aesthetic of their latest track “easy”. Whilst music from the original soundtrack falls somewhere between traditional Japanese folk, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and Aphex Twin’s “Xtal”, what caught SuperParka’s attention were unrelated visuals that brought them back to the movie.
Simon explains, “‘easy’ is born with the idea of making a soundtrack of an ‘80s futuristic inspired western. The whole idea originated from some pictures found in a magazine taken in the Mongolian landscape with a mix between traditionally dressed people [and] some others on motorbikes (almost the one from the movie Akira) with modern citizen/fashion clothes.” The exploration of modern society, and the unpredictability of the universe as we hurtle towards a certain dystopian future also lays stage for the duo’s upcoming album, quatro, set for release in October 2023.
