New Music: Color Theory x Mondträume – Better Off

I do like a bit of futurepop, and when it comes from a collaboration from two great electronic projects, well, even better!

Both acts cover similar emotional terrain, yet from different sonic perspectives. Where Color Theory explores the bittersweet lessons of life from an 80s-inflected synthpop sound, Mondträume do so from a place that is influenced by European dark scene culture.

So, while the lyrics tug at the heartstrings, the vocals do too; Better Off is anthemic in a counter-intuitive way, finding communion in loss and friendship in pain. Fans of Solitary Experiments, CHROM, and other classic groups of the genre, (see below) will find their emotional defences weakened by the happy-sad electropop of Better Off, and pardon the pun, be better off for that.

Says Brian Hazard of Color Theory about the song, “In 2023, a fan connected me with Pikotto, who needed vocals for a Mondträume song fast. I wrote the lyrics, recorded vocals, and sent back files in two days, then shared it with patrons on June 22, 2023.”

“Musically, it’s a hybrid of classic synthpop and futurepop, in the rough ballpark of VNV Nation, De/Vision, and Wolfsheim. Lyrically, it’s a classic too: a breakup song exuding confidence with a lingering hint of regret.”

Better Off features on the deluxe edition of Mondträume’s Mind Games album, which was released on the 26th of June via Alfa Matrix. Both can be heard on Bandcamp and Spotify – for further listening options, connect with Mondträume on Instagram.