Stefaniii makes a striking first impression with debut single ‘Catalyst’. Barreling into life with high-energy drums, bouncy bass grooves and guitars that lift from arpeggios and strums to glorious overdriven melodies. With the rush underneath, the lead vocal performance is near-spoken, cutting through the bursting instrumentation.
Restless and sharp, it paints quick brush strokes of hazy and intense nightlife. The quick flashes emerge in attraction, cool exteriors harbouring powerful emotions. Once the tone is set, it stays on it for the full two-and-a-minutes. Like the moments it seeks to emulate, it’s gone in a flash, but its infectious nature leaves it lingering in the air.
Stefanni shares, “Catalyst is about getting hooked on a moment, that one stare, that one high, that you want over and over again. It’s about the bittersweet ironies of nightlife and searching for desire in places you will never find it.”
The portrait of euphoria and unease finds contributions from Moyses Dos Santos (Bass), April Roots (Guitar) and Max Saidi (The Drums), the accompanying video directed by Richard Melkonian and starring Genevieve Chenneour.
Melkonian is the man behind Stefaniii. A creative with music as his latest endeavour, previous accolades have come from film, pop, theatre and creative experimentation. The Armenian-British, London-based composer now brings his talents to a fresh and intriguing project.
Listen to Stefaniii here:
