Tuesday November 9, 2021
Fanfickk’s self-produced debut track, Shreds (2016), was instigated by mistakenly bragging to someone that she was working on an EP when she wasn’t. This white lie was the catalyst for more tracks, and the subsequent release of her debut EP Stay Shy.
Multiple collaborations, singles, remixes, and another EP followed, with several songs attracting radio play, indie chart placements, and a much-coveted Spotify editorial playlisting. Fanfickk’s new release Summer Sun is the follow-up to her 2021 track, Everything’s On Fire. The German-born Australian artist is a DIY indie music creator in the true sense of the word, writing, recording, and producing irreverent pop songs, emo ambient music, and filming and editing her videos.
Her view of her creative process is as refreshing and nonconformist as her music. As Fanfeckk says about her process, ‘The most important thing for me is to make music that I personally like. That’s why I never ask people for feedback on what I’m doing because it’s not relevant. When I release music, though, it’s in an effort to connect with people.
Sometimes it’s a little bit out of spite for people who have tried to dissuade me in the past.’ Summer Sun sounds like its title, with subtle hooks woven through a maze of ethereal, textural light like sonic tendrils. As Fanfickk says aboutSummer Sun, ‘It’s an ambiguous love song, but it’s definitely a love song.’ Featuring Fanfickk’s restrained idiosyncratic vocal performance set against an opaque, dreamy backdrop, Summer Sun’s rhythmic pulse reflects the track’s narrative—a tale of mysterious, obscure love.
‘It was inspired by my friends, my cat, and a picture of someone in a garden with flowers. You could interpret it as romantic or aromantic.’ Fanfickk cleverly uses experimental rhythmic elements—pitched-down drum loops, effected percussive sounds—with quite a salient series of melodies, creating an alluring juxtaposition. As Fanfickk says about her influences, ‘My German roots and West Auckland (New Zealand) upbringing means that I have an affinity for goth, metal, and industrial music.
I’m sure that creeps into my creations.’ Despite the track’s experimental bent, Summer Sun is delectably accessible and sure to endear many to Fanfickk’s brand of genre-bending pop.
