Last week I wrote about Purient, the solo project of Kate Durman. Writing that post led me to her other music project Acopia, formed with Lachlan McGeehan and Morgan Wright. It’s on the opposite end of the spectrum of electronic music; Acopia makes melancholy, atmospheric trip-hop, and they do it extremely well.
Acopia’s sound is noir-ish, layered and subtle. It’s a melancholy, hazy vibe that mixes live instrumentation with electronics. It can make for some impactful moments, as when the drums kick in at the climax of “Eyes Shut”, the focal point of the record:
The self-titled record, their second, came out in 2023 to a good review in Pitchfork. It’s reminiscent of classic trip-hop such as Hooverphonic and Sneaker Pimps, with lyrics about complicated relationships, insecurity, and anxiety. On first listen, the album feels somewhat stripped-back and minimalist, but more listens reveal something deeper and more complex, with elements like record-player surface noise on opener “We Evolve”.
The attention to detail is clear on this record — these songs feel refined and restrained, even fussed-over in way that adds to the allure. Several songs lull the listener into a hypnotic groove only to upend it with a dramatic swerve, as on “What I’ve Been Looking For”:
The lyrics and production on Acopia are more discerning and confident than on the band’s debut LP Chances (from 2022). Chances was the sound of a band finding their sound. Acopia is fully-formed and cohesive.
The record recently got a new pressing (and sold out, dammit), and they released a remix of “Be Enough” that’s intensely cinematic. They’re playing a couple of festivals this (Australian) summer, so it’s safe to assume there’s more music on the way.
Further Reading and Listening
Acopia’s curated playlist on Spotify (>400 tracks!)
