UK electronic songsmith Hugo Manuel will release his latest album as Chad Valley later this month, but before Imaginary Music arrives, he's offered up another preview of new material.
"ABC" is just one of the songs that arose out of a creative tragedy — he lost the majority of an in-the-works album when his tour van was broken into and his laptop was stolen. The experience forced Manuel to start over from scratch, opting to make a new record practically alone.
Whereas 2012's Young Hunger featured an array of guests and 2015's Entirely New Blue was co-produced, Imaginary Music is the product of Manuel's mind only.
That's not to say he didn't borrow inspiration from others, though. He admits that "ABC" began as an homage to Tears for Fears' "Everyone Wants to Rule the World," though the sentiment behind the song is entirely his own.
"'ABC' is the simplest name I could come up with for a song that is completely smitten and child-like in its approach to love," Manuel tells Exclaim! "It's about loving someone who doesn't love you back... showing 'the opposite of love'... whatever that might be."
The track has also been paired with a video courtesy of Swing Ho, which was filmed in Hong Kong. Check it out below.
Imaginary Music is due out May 25 via Paper Bag Records in Canada and Cascine in the United States.
"ABC" is just one of the songs that arose out of a creative tragedy — he lost the majority of an in-the-works album when his tour van was broken into and his laptop was stolen. The experience forced Manuel to start over from scratch, opting to make a new record practically alone.
Whereas 2012's Young Hunger featured an array of guests and 2015's Entirely New Blue was co-produced, Imaginary Music is the product of Manuel's mind only.
That's not to say he didn't borrow inspiration from others, though. He admits that "ABC" began as an homage to Tears for Fears' "Everyone Wants to Rule the World," though the sentiment behind the song is entirely his own.
"'ABC' is the simplest name I could come up with for a song that is completely smitten and child-like in its approach to love," Manuel tells Exclaim! "It's about loving someone who doesn't love you back... showing 'the opposite of love'... whatever that might be."
The track has also been paired with a video courtesy of Swing Ho, which was filmed in Hong Kong. Check it out below.
Imaginary Music is due out May 25 via Paper Bag Records in Canada and Cascine in the United States.
