Track of the Day: DYVR - 'Smoke'

Belfast-based electro-pop musician DYVR has shared their brand new single 'Smoke', creating further hype for their upcoming Part 3 EP.

Distinct to DYVR’s work, this single is doused in minimal-electronica soundings with a gentle, driving pulse throughout. At the forefront is DYVR’s trademark falsetto-infused vocal; delivering empowering lyrics dealing with themes of queer identity and the constraints that society puts on marginalised and oppressed groups.

This track weaves in and out of confined spaces before the chorus blooms into a fuller soundscape charged with a stronger energy longing for escape. Their storytelling lyricism was crafted in two parts - first the re-telling of feelings during early lockdowns and second drawing inspiration from women’s marches in early 2021 in the UK. DYVR draws inspiration from the likes of James Blake, SOHN and early Talos for the song.

A change of pace from recent release ‘The Others (ft. HAVVK)’, 'Smoke' contains moments of lightness and space, before dialling up to higher energy charged moments of reflection.

The track was penned during early 2020 lockdown when a lot of queer people felt their sense of identity was slipping away. With no access to the usual safe spaces and chosen family, the LGBTQ+ community lost its mirrors and a lot of people suffered.

DYVR's ethereal, gentle vocal washes over a driving electronic and ambient musical bed produced by Matt of Veta Music, transporting the listener yet again into their deeply personal and distinct world. DYVR's Part 3 EP highlights the continued struggle that the queer community faces to be fully visible.

“Smoke is a song that confronts current attitudes, and expresses a lot of the hopelessness that people were feeling at that time. It’s a damning indictment of a system that hurts more people than it helps - and how so many of us just want to be free of it,” Dyvr says of 'Smoke'.

Listen to 'Smoke' below: