(HRPR) Joakim will his fourth studio album "Nothing Gold" through his very own imprint, Tigersushi Records this fall. Despite the fame and notoriety the label has brought to this Parisian producer, debut single "Forever Young" off the forthcoming record will mark the very first single under the Joakim moniker to be officially released through Tigersushi on June 13, 2011.
Despite notable collaborations with artists such as Goldfrapp, Friendly Fires, DJ Mehdi, Cut Copy, Tiga, Fischerspooner, Late of the Pier, Max Berlin and Zombie Zombie - to name a few, the premiere single 'Forever Young' stems from an inspiring place of honesty and self-reverence for Joakim as his self-proclaimed "road to Damascus." He explains:
"'Forever Young' is my song for all the 30-something people out there. I used to hate people between 30 and 40 when I was younger. I thought they gave up on most of their beliefs and lived a dull and false life. Love cowards pretending to still be cool. Contemptuous grown-ups afraid of the young sharks. But now I'm one of THEM. So I have to cope with that."
For Joakim, "coping" takes the form of synth-heavy pop creations that lean toward classic Komische combined with self-sung personal balladry. The thought process behind "Forever Young" is described as a "soundtrack to a late beach sunset on an Indian Summer's night" - a setting where time is meaningless, yet time quickly fades away. Delight and melancholy are key threads in the song, juxtaposed within the lyrics to yield dark undertones that question "where do we belong?"
"Like some other tracks from my new album, this sounds kinda happy, but it's actually not"
The sentiment is undeniably ominous, yet 'Forever Young' tells the story of life seen through Joakim's eyes, filled with endless questions and obscurity. Recorded and produced just minutes from the Tigersushi offices, Joakim delves into his label roster for collaborators and remixers for the song including Mark Kerr (a Tigersushi loyalist from the start who provides bouncy, african-inspired drums and rhythms), Discodeine (for their undeniable star quality) and DyE (new to the family who sharpen the song's pop elements and transform it into an epic house tune).