Hypoluxo – “Ridden”

Henry Archer

Hypoluxo – “Ridden”

Henry Archer

Hypoluxo have been kicking around Brooklyn for a couple years now, playing gigs with Stereogum-approved acts like Nation Of Language and putting out a handful of releases. But the young band wound up in a classic bind — a shitty record deal that paralyzed and then almost destroyed them. Now, the quartet are back and embarking on a new chapter, both sonically and spiritually.

The band’s new song is called “Ridden” and, fittingly enough, it was written in reaction to all the negativity with their old label. (This new one is coming out via Terrible Records’ Flexible Distribution, the first time Hypoluxo has worked with the label.) Here’s what frontman Samuel Cogen had to say about “Ridden,” and how San Fermin’s Allen Tate helped Hypoluxo through a low point:

This song was written when we really didn’t know if the band would survive. Our label at the time pretty much disappeared, and we weren’t sure where to go from there. We thought we’d just disband Hypoluxo and then we met Allen Tate who pushed us to keep going. During this time I was pretty depressed and had no idea what was going to happen but all I knew is that we wanted to keep making music. “Ridden” is an ode to me having to get out of my house and continuing the creative process from this place of dejection and despondency.

“Ridden” finds Hypoluxo delving further into post-punk than before — it kinda reminds me of Omni if Omni were big Felt fans. And while the song comes out of a frustrating passage of time, there’s a bit of release when Cogen hits the chorus and barks: “I feel I’m stronger than that/ I feel I’m better than that.” Check it out below.

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