Stream: Digitalism, “2 Hearts”

April 18, 2011


Guardian opened their premiere of this new Digitalism track like this: “Jens Moelle and İsmail Tüfekçi, aka German indie-dance duo Digitalism, don't really do subtle.” Guardian is taking the approach that a “chant-like chorus” and “an arena-sized synth riff,” things that definitely exist in this song, somehow oppose “complex dance music.” Which maybe they do, and maybe we’re overexcited off cornball synth rock styled five years ago, but it feels like oversimplifying to automatically relegate melodic pop and straightforward snare patterns to the “drunks in a field.” You can own expensive headphones and be depressed at work and appreciate this song just fine. But the point is this: making pop music is complicated, too. Somebody thought about those dips in that opening guitar part; the first verse didn’t just become huge and cohesive and mass-appeal palatable. Digitalism's second album I Love You, Dude (not defending that title) comes out June 13th.



Stream: Digitalism, “2 Hearts”