PLGRMS’ ‘Limbs’ Will Soundtrack Your Next Adventure

PLGRMS. Photo supplied.

Sydney electronic duo PLGRMS have released their second single of 2020, and it’s haunting. Limbs sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack of the next blockbuster movie. It's the perfect song to listen to for your next getaway - whether you're on a road trip, or in your backyard. Each element of Limbs feels finely crafted. The production is stellar in every sense of the word. PLGRMS immerse themselves in the sounds of today - they list alt-j and Glass Animals as influences. This song wouldn’t sound out of place in either of those bands’ discographies.

Lead singer Jake Pearson says the track's inspiration is people who live and die by their reputation. “I think we’ve probably all met someone that acts impulsive and fearless, then fixates on maintaining that reputation.” Thankfully, PLGRMS' reputation reflects their lush production, rather than their impulsive desires.

There’s a fine line between polished and saccharine when it comes to electronic music. Often, artists lean too far into removing blemishes from their music. While Limbs sounds clean and refined, it doesn’t cross into the realm of sounding artificial. There’s still elements of Limbs that are raw - such as the lyrics - and it makes the song resonate. The piano, for example, help keep the song grounded in reality.

Electronic/pop music in 2020 is difficult to define. Do you continue to create escapist music, or lean into the themes of society in a time where things can feel helpless? Thankfully, Limbs doesn’t feel preachy, nor do PLGRMS feel like they sit outside the realm of what’s currently happening.

Limbs is a great example of a electronic song in 2020. There’s an implicit acknowledgement with the sounds they use that things aren’t as good as they could be. There’s a dark, brooding mood to Limbs that captures how people are currently feeling. Great music is able to do that, even if it wasn’t written specifically for that purpose.

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PLGMS are set to release their next project in early 2021. To tide fans over until then, they’ll be releasing a string of new music. The time is now to become a PLGRMS fan, because their reputation will keep growing. Keep an eye on PLGRMS. I’ve got a good feeling there’s big things on the horizon for this Sydney duo.