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Dec 07, 2020 Barbarossa By Caleb Campbell

UK singer and producer James Mathé, a.k.a. Barbarossa, has returned with his newest single, “Iris2Iris,” premiering with Under the Radar. Since shifting from his earlier folk-tinged material, Barbarossa has explored a minimalist sound, effortlessly finding warmth in expansive electronic soundscapes. After a handful of singles in 2020, with “Iris2Iris” Mathé is also announcing the release of his upcoming sixth album, Love Here Listen, coming March 5, 2021, via Memphis Industries. For Love Here Listen, Mathé has once again collaborated with fellow producer Ghost Culture after previously working together for Barbarossa’s 2018 record Lier.

“Iris2Iris” continues in a similar vein to Barbarossa’s other 2020 singles, “Make It Through” and “Recliner,” crafting soothing electro ballads from minimal synths and the warm timbres of Mathé’s voice. However, the latest track from Mathé stands out with a driving beat, nimble basslines, and bright synth tones. When the track goes into the chorus, it expands over rich beds of synths, bursting with a new sense of tender power. The song reaches anthemic lyrical heights while melding perfectly with Barbarossa’s understated musical style. Mathé makes a wholehearted plea for forging true connection singing, “I won’t waste my life disconnected / Because I want more than this / How do we open up / To this feeling?” More than simply a moving electro ballad, Mathé’s latest track is a tender and hopeful entreaty to live life to its fullest.

Mathé explains of the song, “I was thinking about how I have moments of clarity more and more as I get older of what is really meaningful in my life and how I can best use my time in this life. The moments are often short-lived though, so I look at ways of accessing this mental state more. My kids bring me into this state and nature too. I jump in icy water now I live by the sea and it brings me into fight or flight, it brings what’s important to the forefront of my mind. The song is about spending more of your life with your eyes open, confronting everything that you are dealt with.” Check out the song below and watch for Love Here Listen, out March 5 via Memphis Industries.