Simian Mobile Disco's Jas Shaw Joins Forces with Prolific Songwriter Alev Lenz
Today they share lead single 'All Of The Weeds'
Alev & Jas is the new project that unites the talents of Alev Lenz, a versatile singer, songwriter, composer, and producer, and Jas Shaw, one half of the renowned electronic duo Simian Mobile Disco. Today they share the news of their debut collaborative album Bring Your Friends, scheduled for February 23rd with new single ‘All Of The Weeds’.
The debut single ‘All Of The Weeds’, is a kaleidoscopic dream, made up of Alev’s signature harmonies and Jas’ down-tempo electronics that serves as a heartfelt mantra of self-assurance and reflects on persevering through hardships “You must cultivate a garden within yourself and look after it with love, and grow the seeds you have been given. In patriarchy fathers are pictured as the providers but I am adding and imagining a softer father here, one that folds flowers, offers a garden of beauty and softness and a mother that provides with the gold of her heart” adds Alev.
Alev Lenz's musical prowess spans sophisticated pop, ethereal "vocal-scapes," and unique explorations of non-standard scales. A prolific composer, her work is a fusion of diverse musical genres, characterised by honest lyrics, catchy melodies, and intricate harmonies. Her impact has been felt across Grammy-nominated records and high-profile on-screen productions, including Netflix's Black Mirror, Dark, The Rain, and Sky's Funeral For A Dog. Collaborating with esteemed artists such as Oscar-winning composer Volker Bertelmann, Grammy-Award-winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth, and the celebrated nine-time Grammy-nominee Anoushka Shankar.
Jas Shaw, who has long been a prominent figure in the electronic music scene as one half of Simian Mobile Disco, embarked on a transformative musical journey in 2018, due to personal health challenges that halted touring with Simian Mobile Disco. During his time in isolation, he channelled his creative energy into making music in his converted barn home studio in Kent. This pivotal period yielded a prolific output, including his 2019 solo debut album, Exquisite Cops, a collaborative 2018 release, On Reflection, with Derwin Decker of Gold Panda, and the 2020 album Klavier in partnership with Bas Grossfeldt.
The roots of Bring Your Friends trace back to a decade ago when Alev and Jas first collaborated. Alev recalls, "Our musical orbits aligned, and we've remained in that universe ever since." Their friendship began in the tea station of a Hackney Road studio, and Jas ended up helping Alev mix some music. From there, they developed an intuitive understanding of each other's aesthetic and musical language.
The album was crafted between Alev and Jas's respective homes in Munich, London, and Kent over the past year. Although it was made within a year, it was a decade in the making, reflecting their enduring friendship and creative collaborations.
Combining Jas' atmospheric, down-tempo electronics with Alev's signature ethereal vocal harmonies and intricate lyrics, the album presents dreamy lullabies that confirm the pair's perfect match. Jas notes, "Alev is a wonderful singer and writer, but what makes us most compatible is her enthusiasm to have her voice treated similarly to a synth. Things that I would be nervous to send to other singers are pretty routine for her. I hear a very natural, cohesive scene primarily featuring Alev and synths. It feels utterly convincing; the voice seamlessly melds with the synths, and there's no sense of a disjointed collage of two separate elements."
Alev describes the record as "about friends talking about the state of the world and their souls." It reflects the experiences of coming out of the pandemic, touching on themes of screens, the outdoors, patriarchy, and relationship traumas. Jas adds, "I was in lockdown much longer than most people and never really got into remote working, even with friends. I had this sense that the magic that you get when you put a few people in a room and decisions get made and something is created would not work across a video link. I really only sent Alev the tunes because I knew that she would be able to see what I was doing but would likely have a very different slant on them."
Bring Your Friends is a testament to the joy and freedom of artistic expression that Alev and Jas discovered during the recording process, and it reflects a special collaborative journey and a celebration of their enduring friendship and musical partnership
Alev & Jas
Bring Your Friends
(RD: Feb 23rd)
1. A World Beyond
2. Between Two Breaths
3. Dandelion
4. Overstrung but Underdamped
Alev Lenz Online:
Jas Shaw Online:
