Japan Based Electronica Infused Band Joy Opposites Release Full EP

Electronica tinged two-piece rock band, Joy Opposites, have today dropped their new EP ‘Bad Phase’ released digitally via Hostess Entertainment, whilst simultaneously unveiling visual accompaniments for the tracks ‘Whatevvver’ and ‘Holy Smoke’ to sit alongside the previously released title track ‘Bad Phase’. The videos are all directed by Johnny TV, noted for his astounding visual work for some of the biggest names in music, from Metallica to The Chemical Brothers, and all bring the EP’s striking artwork to life to spellbinding effect.

The EP includes 3 original songs and 4 covers of artists dear to the band’s heart (‘Down In A Hole’ by Alice In Chains, ‘Smoke Signals’ by Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Weeds’ by Life Of Agony and ‘Lovely’ by Billie Eilish), covering a range of genres that Joy Opposites sits somewhere in the middle of. Recording took place mainly in the band’s bedrooms and the effort was mixed by their very own Imran (Guitars/Synths/Vocals). Commenting on the lyrical change in direction on this EP, vocalist/guitarist Adam muses “Lyrically, these songs deal with societal issues more than personal ones. Both of us have been strongly affected by how the world is changing and how things are spiraling out of control. Our first album was recorded in California – Summer 2016 – pre-Trump and pre-Brexit. So much has changed since then. Divisions between people are getting wider and wider. Our governments, religions and corporations are doing whatever they can to make this worse because that is how they profit … and we’re falling for it. Honestly, it was quite a challenge for me to write about a certain subject rather than about a feeling since my lyrics are generally quite stream-of-consciousness, so this was something new.”

Bad Phase is the band closing the door on one ‘phase’ of Joy Opposites and opening another. The title of the EP came from an email exchange between the two members when the band was at its lowest ebb – Adam saw the words ‘Bad Phase’ in one of Immy’s emails and it fit just right. Says Imran, “It’s no secret that the band has had more than its fair share of struggles over its short lifetime but thankfully, we managed to overcome them. This EP is us putting that whole period to bed and looking towards the future”. Sonically this EP finds the band leaning into the electronic sound they experimented with on previous album ‘Find Hell’, with synthesizers and programmed drums complementing the band’s established dark, alternative rock sound. The results feel at once like they could only have been made in the tumult of 2019, and yet strangely comfortable and familiar – a cutting edge sound for these most savage of times.

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