Brooklyn indie four-piece Hypoluxo have unveiled their latest single “Ridden” after signing with Terrible Records.
The song opens with a somewhat surf-punk guitar riff before lead singer Samuel Cogen kicks off the first verse. Especially on “Ridden,” he has vocals that sound reminiscent of The Strokes, particularly their earlier albums.
“Ridden” also contains intriguing backing instrumentation on the chorus, where it seems to mirror the vocals, notably on lines like “I feel I’m stronger than that.” A song only under three minutes, it seems to take on a particular powerful energy that makes it feel longer (and better) with each listen.
“This song was written when we really didn’t know if the band would survive,” Cogen said. “Our label at the time pretty much disappeared, and we weren’t sure where to go from there. During this time I was pretty depressed and had no idea what was going to happen, but all I knew is that we wanted to keep making music. ‘Ridden’ is an ode to me having to get out of my house and continuing the creative process from this place of dejection and despondency.”
One of the last few lyrics that Cogen sings is “I’m sick of being a catastrophe.” However, it ends up arguably being the most powerful line, especially within an entire song that is anything but a catastrophe.
Truthfully, Hypoluxo’s appeal lies in their ability to not limit themselves to one strict, sonic box. And, at least according to their pinned tweet (“Is it noise-pop? Is it post-hardcore? Is it indie rock?”), they seem to be pretty self-aware of that flexibility, too.
Listen to Hypoluxo’s new single “Ridden” here.
