"Who are you trying to be?" is the key question coming from Devenny 404. It's a question that works both ways from a rapper establishing a solo voice outside of his south London collective, 404 Guild. "Pause" is Devenny's moment to shine and he attacks the moody and hypnotic beat from fellow 404 member Bathwater (the group is rounded out by Eliot and Sonny) with a real sense of conviction. "Look through the telescope see what you want, fought for your emotions I stayed for your heart," he raps with the same clarity and raffish way as New Yorker Wiki. The compact nature of the track is matched with a grimy visual that ups the ante on an already frantic introduction.
Speaking about the track via email, Devenny said: "'Pause' came together inside Bathwater's bedroom when we were living with each other. His room was tiny and I had to climb into his closet to record due to the lack of space. I kept opening the closet door between takes due to the heat in there, every time I emerged I looked more sweaty and stressed than before.
"Before making this I was pretty stuck in taking myself a little too seriously, this song allowed me to break free from that a little, That being said the lyrics are still pretty coded. I want the words to always be open to interpretation. I hope people enjoy it as much I did making it."
404 Guild's Guild 2 project dropped last year. They are currently working on its follow-up, Paradise Drive, due out via Dirty Hit (The 1975, beabadoobee).