Eagles & Butterflies drops vintage Italo single ‘Heartbreaks & XTC’ on Running Back Records
“Eagles & Butterflies possesses the rare ability in his music to unite a larger-than-life peak-time producer personality with the understated production method of underground records, techno pop and a modern Italo twist” – Gerd Janson
2024’s biggest secret weapon has arrived: Eagles & Butterflies unveils ‘Heartbreaks & XTC’, an all-out italo heater, out 23rd August on Gerd Janson’s coveted Running Back Records.
E&B returns to Running Back – his second outing on the label – with a prodigious hands-in-the-air italo weapon. All the “indispensable” essential elements are on ‘Heartbreaks & XTC’: the glistening arps, the bulging arpeggiating bassline, the crunch of hardware drums, and the anthemic pads. These form what is surely a catalyst for any dancefloor, and one of Gerd’s secret weapons from a forthcoming triple A-side EP of the same name, dropping on Running Back in September.
Drenched in retro sonics, Eagles & Butterflies continues his no-frills, stripped-back approach on the forthcoming ‘Heartbreaks & XTC’ EP, leaving his hardware to do the talking. Each of its six tracks comes straight out of the producer’s burgeoning analogue synth bunker in Lisbon, ‘The Synth Cave’, which is now open commercially for producers to use (more info here).
“The return of the Mack. Chris Barratt aka Eagles & Butterflies possesses the rare ability in his music to unite a larger-than-life peak-time producer personality with the understated production method of underground records, techno pop and a modern Italo twist. Perfectly suited for Running Back, ‘Heartbreaks & XTC’ is luckily exactly that,” says Running Back founder, Gerd Janson. “The mirror image of Eagles & Butterflies and how to find common ground between polar flairs. Chord happiness, Italo bass lines, arp art, filter magic and side chain stunts. Indispensable to life or any dance floor near you.”
Alongside the full EP release on Thursday 12th September, Eagles & Butterflies will host an in-store launch party at the Muting The Noise record store in Berlin, himself playing alongside the ultra-talented Massimiliano Pagliara, Running Hot, Cromby and Lola Luc. Keep an eye on MTN’s Instagram for more details.
In 2024, the work rate from Eagles & Butterflies has been impressive. So far, he’s released ‘Dopamine Vol. 1’ and ‘Vol. 2’ on his record label Art Imitating Life, the beginning of a new release series dedicated to showcasing a new, more energetic and hedonistic side to his sound.
Lisbon-based, British producer Eagles & Butterflies has previously been honoured as Mixmag’s ‘Breakthrough Act of the Year’ and has appeared on various Mixmag magazine covers. In 2016, he went on to establish his own label, Art Imitating Life, having previously released on Innervisions, Life & Death, and Correspondant. He’s remixed for artists like Bob Moses (‘Enough To Believe’ – 4.3M Spotify streams), RY X, Underworld, and Ludovico Einaudi. E&B has also featured on BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix.
This sublime track from Eagles & Butterflies is another slab of pure vintage dance excellence from the producer. If you don’t already know, this guy is your hot tip for 2024 if you’re on the lookout for synth-heavy heaters.
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