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May 10, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by George Tripodakis

LA-based composer, producer, and musician Elena Charbila returned last year with Better Than Electric, her latest album of cinematic alt pop under the moniker KID MOXIE. However, while she was writing the record during the lockdowns, she was simultaneously hard at work on LUST, a new collaborative EP with German synthwave artist NINA. The pair traded vocal ideas and lyrics back and forth virtually before meeting to record the record in Berlin, cementing the EP’s futuristic neon noir aesthetic and layered synthwave soundscapes.

The EP is out now via Italians Do It Better. Today, KID MOXIE and NINA are back with an accompanying video for one of the record’s highlights, “DEVOTION,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“DEVOTION” pulls together the cinematic pop drama of KID MOXIE and the neon-lit nocturnal ambiance of NINA, fusing them seamlessly as both artists play the role of the femme fatale. NINA’s vocals are airy and celestial, contrasted with shadowy spoken-word verses from KID MOXIE. Meanwhile, pulsing percussion and rumbling synth tones give the track an air of sinister decadence, fitting perfectly in the EP’s world of lust and moonlit drives. In turn, the accompanying video brings that world to life, with NINA and KID MOXIE on the run through a cyberpunk cityscape.

KID MOXIE says of the track, “I always felt that DEVOTION is the most cinematic track on the album and possibly our most sinister sounding one as well. The idea was to lure the audience into a world of lust and neon noir inspired intrigue. There is a sexy all-female car chase which is happening in the underbelly of downtown Los Angeles- an atmosphere I always find aesthetically and creatively inspiring. I feel that a place is never just a place. In this video, the city is also one of the main characters, alluring and mysterious much like the women who inhabit it. For the VFX, our dream team EmptyFilm and CandyshopVFX came together to sculpt the retro-futuristic landscape that the video takes place in. While filming the video, NINA and I drove around the town for hours on the busy streets of L.A. A camera was rigged on the front of the car as a hot cop (with a pink siren) was coming after us. Sirens chasing sirens- that stuff never gets old! ”

NINA continues, saying of the song, “DEVOTION is my favorite track on the EP because I love its overall tone and vibe. The blend of sci-fi sounds, spoken verses, and sensual vocal melodies makes me feel like I’m being lured into a neon dreamscape filled with fast cars and femme fatales. Kid Moxie’s voice compliments mine really well too! We balance off each other, singing with intimacy while creating a distant wave of atmosphere. For the music video, we thought it would be fun to portray femme fatals on the run. To tell our futuristic getaway story, we took inspiration from neo-noir films like “Drive” and “Blade Runner”. While filming, we got very playful with our performance and outfit changes, adding a colorful quality to the darker mood of the music. Filming in LA was inspiring as I love the city and its vibrancy.”

Check out the song and video below. The LUST EP is out everywhere now via Italians Do It Better.