Jupe Jupe, one of Popdose’s Best New Artists of 2017, has gone back to the future yet again — though we promise this sequel is WAY better than the western one starring Michael J. Fox. I’ll admit, we were a bit late to Jupe Jupe party; the Seattle-based new wave band was already on their 4th album by the time we discovered their lovelorn, synth drenched, earworm pop confections. And now they’re back with a new EP, Nightfall (out February 28th), and we have the world premiere of their new video, the MTV 120 Minutes-ready, How Can We Both Be In Love’.
Crush-worthy video babe? Check. Cutting edge (at the time) digital visual effects? Check. Blistering sax solo? Check. Stop motion filmmaking? Check. Star Wipe? Well, you can’t have everything…
Erik Foster of another great Seattle band, The Dirty Sidewalks, directed the video, creating a gorgeous, colorful, and sexy as sin cinemascape that I bet would look good on the dancefloor (projected on the nearest wall). The clip pays equal homage to Andy Warhol and Russell Mulcahy (director of Duran Duran’s ‘Rio’, Elton John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’).
It’s hard to believe that the ”Seattle Sound” immortalized by Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mother Love Bone is already 30 years old. But Jupe Jupe (pronounced ”joop joop” after the laser sound effect) takes the Delorean a bit further back, to the time when Depeche Mode, Camouflage, Erasure, and Book of Love were filling dance floors in new wave clubs where everyone came come reeking of clove-cigarettes and Aqua Net. On the new EP, Bryan Manzo pulls triple duty, laying down guitar, bass and saxophone (more ‘Careless Whisper’ and ‘Rio’, less Kenny G). My Young (vocals and synths); Patrick Partington (guitar), and Jarrod Arbini (drums and percussion) round out the quartet.
But don’t think Nightfall is just a trip in the wayback machine. Jupe Jupe’s sound is thoroughly modern, providing the perfect soundtrack for anyone living a John Hughes movie life in 2020. I guess people don’t make mixtapes anymore, but is it romantic enough to send your true love a private Spotify playlist? If so, Jupe Jupe has you covered.
Perhaps fellow music blog The Big Takeover summed up Jupe Jupe best: ”There are sounds colored by breaths of Depeche Mode, Gary Numan and OMD, and even some quick little winks and grins towards Haircut 100 and early Cure. But these are jumping off points. Sonic references to further the genre and push it into the future. A future that is danceable, joyous, and stained with beautiful melancholy.”
Nightfall is available to download and stream on all major platforms February 28th. Connect with Jupe Jupe on Facebook and Instagram.
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