Ukiyo is the newest member of the Island Records Australia family. Today, the electronica multi-instrumentalist and producer has shared his first offering on the label; his new single ‘Slow Motion’.
‘Slow Motion’ features Ukiyo’s trademark warm, electronic soundscapes enveloping a delicate vocal from Will Hyde. The track swells with lush production that ensures it’s ready for both quiet commutes and heaving dancefloors.
Ukiyo pulled inspiration for the song from “that kind of dark place where you feel like you’re falling apart quicker than you can put yourself back together, and the thought of reaching out for help is a burden on a world that seems like it’s moving on fine without you.” Having music help him through the toughest of times, he’s hoping it can “help people get out of that place like music has helped me, and remind the people that need to hear it, that they’re not alone.”
‘Slow Motion’ comes with an accompanying video directed and produced by Jarrad Levy and Ukiyo himself. The video plays on the theme of isolation and creatively features collaborator Hyde, “With Will on the other side of the world, we had to find a creative way to bring him into the video. Jarrad and I became captivated by ‘liminal spaces’ – places void of any life that feel unfamiliar yet nostalgic. We knew it’d be the perfect backdrop to represent feelings of loneliness.” Ukiyo employed the use of LiDARto portray a grittier version of the world, representing the one often seen through the eyes of mental health.
Hailing from Perth, Ukiyo stepped on the radar with the release of his debut EP Calling. In 2018 new highs were set with the chart-topping ‘Something Like This’;and the accompanying EP Fantasy, which launched a national headline tour, followed by his 2019’s 8 track Ukiyo Mixtape’ Vol 1. 2020 kicked off with ‘Midnight Sun’, a collaboration with critically acclaimed Atlanta-based producer OTR, that featured in Netflix’s To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, then tail-ended the year that most would like to forget, with the release of his self-titled debut album.
Ukiyo, aka Timothy Arnott, has gained over 64m global streams to his name, sync deals with American Eagle, Ripcurl, HBO and Netflix and found the likes of Will Smith, Casey Neistat and PewDiePie using his music to soundtrack their content. It was only a matter of time before the big changes started coming, and for 2023, Ukiyo has his eyes set on a giant year ahead.
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Creative Direction & Photo Credit: Jarrad Levy
Styling: Makanaka Mujokoto
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