Yulan & Blaise drops music video for “Quench”

Yulan & Blaise is a visionary musical duo that draws the extensive track record and experience of Singaporean-Australian artist Yulan Jack and American-Australian saxophonist Blaise Garza. Together, they bring together experimental electronica, ethereal vocals and innovative instrumentation to craft music that’s equally accessible and groundbreaking. Their partnership blossomed not just as a musical collaboration but also as a love story, with the two meeting while performing at MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart.

Before combining their talent into a focused musical endeavour, both artists had already racked up their own list of accomplishments. Yulan, named in tribyte to her grandmother Mulan, is a performer whose creative work reaches across music, acting and performance art. Her influence has been recognised nationally, earning her a place among the 40-Under-40 Most Influential Asian-Australians in 2022. On screen, she’s appeared in the Emmy-nominated comedy Deadloch, while her live performances have drawn attention for their fearless originality.

Blaise, meanwhile, boasts over two decades as the saxophonist for the legendary folk punk outfit Violent Femmes, with whom he’s played live on stages from the Sydney Opera House to the Hollywood Bowl. Along the way, he’s collaborated with the likes of Barenaked Ladies and Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison, confirming his status as a versatile and in-demand musician. As Yulan & Blaise, they’ve built a sound world where storytelling meets sonic experimentation, first showcased on their debut single “God Complex” which landed last year.

Returning in April with their sophomore outing “Falling 花火落,” they now bring us their latest release with their brand new third single titled “Quench,” the third taste of their upcoming debut EP. The new track melts elements of art pop, bossa nova and downtempo electronic pop into a sonic cocktail that feels disarming and hypnotic, casting a lullaby-esque spell of blissful melodies and dreamy arrangement.

The track explores cycles of addiction and attachment; framing the loops of desire and dependence that blur tenderness with suffocation into an immersive soundscape that’s subtly energising and truly engrossing from start to finish. Set up by the pulse of Yulan’s recorded heartbeat and twinkle of airy instrumental tones, the steady rhythm of shaker ushers in her alluring vocals as she drapes elegant melodies over the misty instrumental fabric.

Peppered with bright flashes of sax and playful flute-like flickers performed on a shakuhachi, “Quench” sees Yulan & Blaise lay down a charming jam that reveals another side of their diverse musical output. With their highly anticipated debut EP on the way, Yulan & Blaise are set to firmly plant themselves on the map of exciting musical acts with an utterly compelling sound.

Accompanying the track is a cinematic music video directed by Gabriel Morrison that’s set in a pink-hued reconstruction of a bedroom from Trainspotting, offering an absorbing visual pairing for the music. As Yulan explains, “We wanted to combine the pastel opulence of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette and The Virgin Suicides, with the gritty unease of Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting.”

Watch the music video for Quench below

More from Music

---

Editor Picks

---