Yulan & Blaise return with new single

Yulan & Blaise’s story already has the ingredients of something larger than a tradiational musical partnership, with two experienced performers, a meeting at Tasmania’s MONA and a shared appetite for taking sound into strange and unexpected places. Singaporean-Australian artist Yulan Jack and American-Australian saxophonist Blaise Garza bring experimental electronica, ethereal vocals and unconventional instrumentation together, creating music that can feel at once accessible and radically open-ended.

Both artists arrived at the collaboration with substantial creative histories of their own; Yulan’s output includes music, acting and performance art, with an adventurous approach to live performance that earned national recognition when she was named among the 40-Under-40 Most Influential Asian-Australians in 2022, while she’s also appeared in the Emmy-nominated comedy Deadloch. Blaise has spent more than two decades as saxophonist for folk punk outfit Violent Femmes, performing everywhere from the Sydney Opera House to the Hollywood Bowl and collaborating with Barenaked Ladies and Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison.

Together, those experiences feed into a project where storytelling and sonic experimentation are intrinsically linked. Their debut single, “God Complex,” arrived in 2024, followed by two further singles the next year. Now, Yulan & Blaise return with “Growing Pains,” a track that brings a casual confidence and pounding production to their increasingly distinctive sound. “Growing Pains” presents a minimalist dance pop sound but there’s nothing particularly minimal about its imagination. Gritty organic textures cut through the production, while hypnotic vocals and otherworldly woodwinds give the track an avant-garde aesthetic.

The contrast between synthetic vibes and organic instrumentation becomes one of its most compelling attributes, creating something that feels equally earthy and futuristic. The inspiration behind the song is just as playful, with Yulan describing it as being about the irony of experiencing growing pains even as an adult, alongside the idea of surrendering spiralling thoughts to the sea. From a lullaby-like voice note, the song then bloomed into a dance track, reflecting the duo’s desire to move more, resist the tendency for life to ‘calcify’ and embrace a little more chaos.

Set by the rumble of stutter bass synth, Yulan’s brooding vocals enter with breathy delivery above the thump of kick, forming a dark dance pop soundscape that rolls with moody vibes and hypnotic rhythm. With intoxicating atmosphere, the flicker of airy bamboo Chinese xūn tones add flashes of colour to the absorbing arrangement as intricate hi hats rattle around the mix, crafting an entirely consuming listening experience from start to finish. Minimal, driving and fiercely unique, “Growing Pains” sees Yulan & Blaise lay down another engrossing musical moment unlike any other.

Putting their creativity and sound design flair on full display, with “Growing Pains,” they deliver a potent dose of experimental dance pop that’s sure to win over new and existing listeners alike. “Growing Pains” takes an intimate idea and lets it become physical, turning reflection into movement and uncertainty into release. With its collision of organic textures, experimental woodwinds, electronic production and mesmeric vocals, the track sees Yulan & Blaise return in emphatic fashion.

Listen to Growing Pains below

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