Psylo release debut track, 'Moonchild'

New York-based duo Psylo have released their debut single, 'Moonchild'.

The track has been in the works for months, and proves itself as what the duo refer to as their "conceptual framework" for their upcoming album, which is dubbed to be an "inner space exploration".

In terms of this single, however, production was very much inspired by 90s NYC hip-hop, combining trip-hop reminiscent of early Gorillaz and Portishead. Samples from NASA, 'spacey' soundscapes and the symbolism of space as exploration of exploring the inner space are apparent throughout.

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The groove behind the track is powered by one half of the duo, Zig, who raps on the beat created by second half Otto, expressing himself as if from elsewhere.

"As soon as I heard Zig's first verse, I knew we had something special." Otto explains. "Moonchild was the first record we recorded and I instantly fell in love with Zig's rapping even from the first rough draft.

"As far as the lyrics go, this song is full of my personal thoughts and sayings," Zig adds. "I preach the things I feel in my heart, authentic ideologies and emotions. One lyric in 'Moonchild’ for example - "I am an intruder on your writer's block," - I wrote to break out of my own writing block whilst using a quirky play on words. It was an actual thought of mine and the more I rap and write about these concepts and emotions, the more I get attached to the concept.

"This is the case for 'Moonchild'; after connecting to the track's idea, I understood my ties with the moon itself. I love water and the beach, and my astrological sign is Cancer which is why the Moon is important to me. For some people it may be the Sun or Venus - but to me, it's the moon. 'Moonchild' is an introduction to what Psylo is and stands for.”

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Psylo met through mutual people - who, Otto claims, "really wanted us to link up musically", suggesting that "the universe pushed us together". Based in Brooklyn in New York, the pair met in New Jersey, Zig's hometown and Otto's college town.

This single marks the first in a year with a "long road of releases" ahead - and you can check out Psylo's debut, 'Moonchild', here.

Niamh Ingram is Mixmag's Weekend Editor, follow her on Twitter