Harvey Causon announces debut album and shares music video for new single "NOSTALGIA"
HARVEY CAUSON announces debut album “SQUARE BREATH” and challenges hyperrealism on new visuals for new single "NOSTALGIA"
London-based composer, musician and vocalist Harvey Causon releases new single “Nostalgia” – taken from his anticipated debut album Square Breath, digital and vinyl to be released November 15th.
Opening with beautifully crafted violins and a striking AI sample formed from vintage 70s records, the hazy, nocturnal production on “Nostalgia” quickly blossoms into an electric wall of sound; rolling drum breaks and heavy-weight basslines creating a canvas for Harvey Causon’s ethereal exploration of reality and the dystopia that can rework and affect our creative journeys. Shaping raw, intricate lyrics alongside GRAMMY-winners P*nut (Amy Winehouse, Faithless) and Erik Alcock (Nas, Eminem, Celine Dion), the young talent chants: “Nostalgia got me sinking // Getting harder to distinguish” - a complex limbo that becomes illuminated through the visual’s powerful, warped darkness.
Speaking on “Nostalgia”, Harvey Causon states: “When writing the initial lyrics, I was unaware that the sample was AI-generated. The lyrics that came to me were based on ideas of recalling memories and not being able to distinguish whether they are from reality or formed from photographs we’ve seen. With modern forms of hyperrealism in AI photo and music generation I found myself thinking about how much memory is based around reality and what this means for nostalgia in the future. ‘Nostalgia’ also reflects on the regurgitative nature of AI and the loss of interest in the nuances of human creativity.”
He adds: “The music video created with Node TV also uses generative imagery and reflects on the symptomatic fear that has been attached to the subject of technological singularity - a hypothetical future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable consequences for human civilisation. Director Katie Scott aimed to convey the ‘nuance’ of the human experience and how that translates into the digital realm.”
Harvey Causon is the architect of his creative blueprint, from production to vocals to art direction. From an early age music has become a passage for him to explore and untangle the ever-evolving universe surrounding him, a raw form of communication to distil complex theories into mesmerising sounds and visual art.
Making waves across Bristol’s experimental music scene since his inception in 2017, the rising talent has cultivated a serious following now crossing across international borders. Pioneering the underground as a beacon of individual expression, his breakout track “London Stock” quickly set levels as a stream of incendiary releases followed including his acclaimed EPs Fourth Wall and Vertebrae, pivotal moments that solidified his artistic presence as one of the most potent new names emerging across the UK.
A hunger for experimentation through live performance soon became apparent as Causon stepped back from releasing to perfect his craft. Earning a significant support slot alongside UK dance icons Hot Chip, Causon then delivered sold-out shows in London and Bristol as his intimate sounds transcended into official scores for a series of short films launched through DoBeDo Projects and NOWNESS.
Returning to the ether this year with “Psycho” and “Fault Lines”, Harvey Causon continues to push shapeshifting sounds laced with vivid storytelling and introspection. Catching the ear of Mercury Prize winner Sampha who enlisted the London talent into his band, the collective toured worldwide this year, with Causon flexing his musical acumen and performing as the main supporting act for Sampha’s show in Köln, Germany – a testament to the electrifying legacy Causon is building.
A genuinely exciting, natural musician and creative boasting critical acclaim across the likes of CLASH, METAL MAGAZINE and THE INDEPENDENT, Causon’s highly ambitious, fluid and politicly-charged artistry marks him as one of the UK’s most thrilling voices right now. With Square Breath finally at our fingers, get ready to hear and see a whole lot more.
Nostalgia Credits:
Writers: Harvey Causon, John Harrison, Erik Alcock
Producers: Harvey Causon, P*Nut, Erik Alcock
Violin: Magnus Westwell
Cello: Emma Barnaby
Synths, Bass, String Arrangement: Harvey Causon
Vocal Engineer: Chiara Ferracuti
Mixing: Stephen Sedgwick (Studio Mochima)
Mastering: Beau Thomas (Ten Eight Seven)
Follow Harvey Causon on links below