Anjunabeats stalwart Graeme Shepherd, aka Grum, releases his fourth artist album, ‘Unreality’. Out now.
‘Unreality’ is his most reflective work to date, putting a human connection in the digital age under the microscope. A story in two halves, the album is introspective, ideas-driven, and song-heavy, holding a mirror to Graeme’s own emotional journey over the last two years.
The visceral nature of Graeme’s work has been present since his debut LP ‘Heartbeats’. A feel-good, get-up and dance record championed by Annie Mac and Pete Tong in the early 2010s, Grum was a product of the blog era, riding the heights of Hype Machine with his synth-heavy sound. As he pivoted towards the dance floor, both his sound and the stories he wanted to tell became more daring.
‘Shout’, his cover of the Tears For Fears classic, was a prog house protest anthem that foreshadowed 2019’s ‘Deep State’ LP - an underground epic with an undercurrent of discontent, evident in the acid-tinged ‘Stay’, Depeche Mode-Esque ‘Lose Control’ or hypnotic ‘Altered State’. 'Deep State' eventually spawned his own record label of the same name which has gone from strength to strength in recent years.
On his new album ‘Unreality', there’s an undeniable summer euphoria to ‘Don’t Look Down’ and ‘Taking Over Me’, written alongside regular collaborator Natalie Shay, a rising star of the U.K. indie-pop scene. ‘Faded Memory’ and ‘Come Alive’, both featuring Sarah Appel, are synth-heavy shots of adrenalin, channeling the glossy optimism of 1980s pop in a punchy contemporary production.
Another recognizable voice, Dom Youdan, enters the fold. Having previously worked with Grum on Tomorrow’ and ‘Invisible’, there’s a tangible yearning for deeper human connection in ‘Be The Horizon’ and ‘Virtual Companion’. Lead single ‘Disconnected’, featuring Daniel Sealine, is designed for the darkest corners of a club; a techno-infused helter-skelter ride with Daniel’s vocal bursting out of the shadows.
We close with a moment of hope in ‘Look To The Light’, Graeme’s first vocal performance on a record, and the introspective acceptance of ‘Our Cosmic Insignificance’.
Grum’s ‘Unreality’ is out now on Anjunabeats, with vinyl available to pre-order on the Anjuna Music Store now. Grum embarks on phase one of his ‘Unreality’ tour this summer, including 18 dates across North America with shows in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, Toronto and more, plus a stop off at Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy Weekender London festival this September. Tickets are on sale now (https://grum.tv).
‘Unreality’ Tracklist
- Grum - Unreality
- Grum feat. Natalie Shay - Don't Look Down
- Grum feat. Sarah Appel - Faded Memory
- Grum feat. Natalie Shay - Taking Over Me
- Grum Only A Dream
- Grum feat. Sarah Appel - Come Alive
- Grum feat. Dom Youdan - Be The Horizon
- Grum feat. Dom Youdan - Last Light
- Grum feat. Dom Youdan - Virtual Companion
- Grum feat. Natalie Shay - Closer Apart
- Grum feat. Sealine - Disconnected
- Grum - Pattern Recognition
- Grum - Look To The Light
- Grum - Our Cosmic Insignificance
‘Unreality’ 2022 North American Tour Dates
- 6/25 - Stereo Live - Houston, TX
- 6/30 - It'll Do - Dallas, TX
- 7/1 - Prysm - Chicago, IL
- 7/2 - TBA - Toronto, ON
- 7/8 - Brooklyn Mirage - Brooklyn, NY
- 7/9 - Newspeak - Montreal, QC
- 7/14 - Club Vinyl - Denver, CO
- 7/15 - Ora - Seattle, WA
- 7/16 - Europe - St Louis, MO
- 7/22 - Palace Theatre - Calgary, AB
- 7/23 - Shady Park - Phoenix, AZ