Lead singer, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist Salem Al Salem aka Altersal of Kuwaiti dream pop band Galaxy Juice has just dropped his second ever solo release in the form of his You Never Listen EP. This release follows his first solo album Wifi Dreams, released in January of 2018 and it falls in line with Altersal’s approach to his solo projects which relies heavily on the use of synthesizers opposed to more of the band’s more guitar-reliant sound.
You Never Listen opens with the EP’s title track which draws inspiration from classic house grooves of the late ’80s, and follows it up with ‘Wish You Never Came’ - a more modern sounding production featuring clean bass and synth lines accompanied by Altersal’s ethereal, FX-laden vocals. When asked about the inspiration behind the EP Salem told us “It’s a deep expression and reflection of some personal incidents and low points that I was experiencing with my relationships this year so I tried to transfer all my negative feeling and emotions and turning them into a beautiful bouquet of flowers that I can share with everyone’s who’s been through the same hardship in their personal lives and so that they can dance and sing their troubles away just as I did.”
The third track on the release - ‘Funk Duster - is another dance inducing cut with a heavier bassline and sustained synth pad that elevates the song’s mood, utilizing the artist’s dream pop background. Rounding off the EP is ‘Take It And Leave’, another vocally somber yet musically uplifting dream pop song that ends the release on a high note.
