French shoegaze/dreampop trio Tapeworms, fresh off their Tokyo sojourn, return with their latest single, “Pitch Pop,” a dazzling preview of their upcoming album, Grand Voyage, out April 11 via New York City’s Music Website and Japan’s P-Vine. The track was initially conceived as an exercise in crafting the perfect pop song, drawing inspiration from early electroclash, French touch-style compressed beats, and the glamorous, futuristic sounds of Japanese producer Yasutaka Nakata (Capsule, Perfume). However, this pursuit of pop perfection was deliberately disrupted by the inclusion of raw, imperfect guitar and vocal takes, injecting a sense of spontaneity and human texture into its polished electronic core. The result? A striking juxtaposition between shoegaze’s dreamlike haze and electrohouse’s pulsating energy, wrapped in lush synth layers and punchy, high-gloss production.
Beneath its euphoric, club-ready surface, “Pitch Pop” carries a deeply introspective undercurrent. “Leaning toward the melancholic, the lyrics explore the theme of friendship,” the band explains, underscoring the tension between its shimmering, upbeat sound and the emotional weight of its narrative. “The result is a contrasted work, an intimate speech about the complexity of authentic feelings and the projection of our own bias within our relations.”
Beyond its personal reflection, the song also captures the pulse of city life, mirroring the fast-paced rhythm and intricate web of individual identities that make up an urban landscape. It encapsulates the overarching atmosphere of Grand Voyage, beginning with a missed long-distance call—an evocative metaphor for connection, distance, and miscommunication in modern life.
With Grand Voyage, Tapeworms continue to evolve their sonic identity, fusing glitchy electro-pop elements with their signature shoegaze sensibilities—a bold and refreshing departure that hints at a thrilling journey ahead.