Fair Visions is a new wave project from Brooklyn by artist Ryan Work. He released his second single today called Channel, from his forthcoming EP, Modern Kids (coming out September 1). These songs pull heavily from new wave artists like David Bowie and New Order.
Channel opens with sweeping pads that set a tone before a light 808 drum loop kicks in. An analog synth with an edgy waveform lays the foundation, and bright electric guitars create tension and alarm. Ryan’s vocals build on this tension tying perfectly with the new wave tones coming from NYC, “I changed your mind half a dozen times but it doesn’t even matter.”
“There’s a hint and a sign somewhere in a line but you turn the paper over
Fair Visions – Channel (BandCamp)
And there are things I can’t find
In all our minds heaven’s close and the world it just dies”
The title track Modern Kids was released in July, perfectly capturing the new wave sound. This song sounds as though you were deep diving into artist catalogs from the 80s, mixing layers of (what I assume is) the Juno 106 synth and loops. He harmonized guitar melodies nicely near the end of the song. “I want to change every single thing but I can’t because I’m me,” he sings. “You see, that’s just the thing – I can’t get past me”
Modern Kids EP follows Work’s A Way Out, which was released weeks before the Pandemic hit in 2020. The EP was mixed by Abe Seiferth (LCD Soundsystem, Car Seat Headrest, Blue Canopy), whom he also produced the songs with. They are working on an LP that has a planned release in 2022.
Modern Kids track-listing
Down
Modern Kids
The Soft Machine
Channel
New Values
Threads
Fair Visions links: