james K // Play
(AD93)

by International Orange
4th - June - 2025

New York’s dreampop maverick returns with an ascendant, chart-baiting anthem and a Y2K-coded video.

Back when we first stumbled across james K’s work in 2016 on her debut LP PET, there were a lot less artists in outsider electronic circles working with pop sensibilities in mind. K’s own album was plenty experimental, but particular tracks like ‘Wetstone’ made her arrival memorable through the strength of her voice. Since then, the New York-based artist has evolved in tandem with the scene(s) around her, to a time when solid songwriting and hooks enjoy a level pegging with freaky sound design and deft beat sequencing. Her team-up with Special Guest DJ and Exael’s Hoodie project for ‘Scorpio’ was a career highlight of sad-eyed, dreamy trip hop perfection.

Now K has just announced a new album, Friend, due to drop on AD93 in September, and the first single ‘Play’ rolls out today with a proper, fully realised, no-visualiser music video. Musically, it’s a grandiose move towards the pop dimension of her craft — all emotive chord progression carrying her airy falsetto, with a teasing arc of intensity leading towards a killer breakbeat peak and a thrumming guitar / distortion chorus. Bonus points for using Apache breaks — fully IO approved. It’s sweet, sentimental and loaded with a rich, artful production. The video is also ace, overloaded with Y2K references from hybrid VHS / CRT TVs to portable CD players with see-through lids, Playstations and more besides. Tonnes of fun, and the perfect match for the tune. Enjoy a sugary dose of radio-friendly feels from an artist doing pop the right way.

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