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Live Review: Peking Duk's Reuben Styles releases new singe 'Your Devotion' under new side project

12 October 2020 | 2:08 pm | Claudia Fallon

Reuben Styles from Peking Duk has debuted his first single 'Your Devotion' under his new side project Y.O.G.A.

Reuben Styles from the legendary Australian duo Peking Duk has debuted his first single 'Your Devotion' under his new side project Y.O.G.A. As an acronym for 'You're Only Great Always', Reuben hopes his latest project becomes a space for pertinent issues such as mental health to be discussed whilst celebrating life, art, and unity. His latest song is a bold step away from his usual electronic sound, exploring the nuances of life, the highs and lows, and everything in-between.

Stitching Western accents into the tapestry of this song, 'Your Devotion' begins with twangy guitars, woozy plucking of strings, blues-infused whistles, and elements of psych-rock that makes it feel like a desert oasis. From the first strike of the tambourine, this song propels us from the western countryside to a 70s dancefloor with psychedelic guitars and groovy vocals. From the ethereal choir additions, 'Your Devotion' becomes hypnotic and all-encompassing, melding a plethora of different sounds to create something truly special. Bringing a deep bass and bold retro guitars, this track feels like it draws sonic inspiration from Kevin Parker's psych-infused sound, with Reuben delivering similarly other-worldly vocals. Framed by slick upbeat drums, 'Your Devotion' is a refreshing new venture for Styles.

Talking about Y.O.G.A., Styles said the new project holds special meaning to him as he aims to use it as a platform for meaningful change saying, YOU’RE ONLY GREAT ALWAYS is a new project I’ve been working on. I’ll be releasing plenty of music with the project, but I also want to use it to create spaces where we can talk about mental health, share art and come together to support and uplift each other. It’s about working through the bad and celebrating the good.”

Also aiming to break down society's expectations that tell us we have to be happy all the time, he went further by explaining, "That’s why I’ll be making online spaces that are different to the ones we normally see. Because although life on Instagram can look perfect, these so called perfect lives rarely tell the whole story. I want You're Only Great Always to be a form of antidote to the smoke and mirrors that people are using to pretend everything is wonderful – something real, where we can be honest and put it all on the table."

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Bringing good vibes to our ears, 'Your Devotion' is a concoction of beautiful sounds and emotions that bring life back to 2020. Upbeat and oozing with retro sounds, it's just the first of what will be many more releases under the new Y.O.G.A. project. While still remaining in Peking Duk, Reuben's first solo single is an impressive release that sounds delightful, fresh, and exciting, making us want to hear more. With deep meaning and ambition to make a difference, Reuben and his project Y.O.G.A. are set to bring forward incredible soundscapes in the future. We cannot wait for what's next.

Words by CLAUDIA FALLON

Image: Supplied

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