China Aster - 'Memories'
Travel into the nostalgic past with China Aster’s tasty new synth-pop single, “Memories.”
Joshua Moore and Oliver Marson of China Aster are back with a shimmering tribute to the wonder days of the electronic 1980s. Moore says the single, “looks at how memory can both entrap and free us. (Blue Moon Press, 2024)” There’s a touch of charming wit and humour in Moore’s lyricism – even seen on the single’s creative cover art. Behind it lies his Marxist and Cosmist idols, spurring that of the philosophical in his creative songwriting. The main goal of this song is for Moore to say he’s breaking the cycle of life, as exemplified by the lyric, “My life is a cycle/I think I’m going to break,” with an intentional pause between the phrases.
This new hit is a textural and aural gem, filled with ethereal, shining synth pads, full-powered, resonant bass, expansive electronic drums, and Moore’s lustrous vocals. It’s a colourful assortment. Moore’s voice is a haunting echo of Morrissey’s (The Smiths), easily passing as his vocal successor. I hear additional influences coming from Gary Numan/Tubeway Army, Kraftwerk, Cocteau Twins, and Troye Sivan in the overall sound. Pop elements from different decades filter through; more notably from the late ‘70s, ‘80s, and the ‘10s. The level of nostalgia procured from the Guernsey-London duo is through the roof. Listeners will feel as if they have been transported to an other-worldly discotheque, dancing and singing along to the familiar melodies of “Memories.” It’s like a song you may have heard before, but can’t quite place.
There are so many exciting digital elements that not one sound can be singled out; this track is a fantastic synth eargasm with so much electrifying potential. Every instrument has its place but stands out in an individuating manner. Everything is in its own spotlight, yet it all comes together in perfect harmony.
Furthermore, Marson’s sleek production leaves a glamorous sheen, providing a shiny ‘memory’ of an indistinguishable time, like something that hasn’t been discovered yet in today’s world nor that of thirty or forty years ago. The song nearly fits into a niche decade, just not quite. It hangs somewhere between the past and the present, creating a magical China Aster pocket in musical time and space.
This is the synth-pop hit that 2024 needs. Just in time for summer, too.
Words by Sydney Kaster