Purient takes us through her innovative and emotive 'Memories' EP

21 April 2021 | 3:36 pm | Emma Jones

Naarm/Melbourne producer and vocalist Purient has released her brand new EP, Memories. The pseudonym of Kate Durman, Purient's music sits in many places at once.

Naarm/Melbourne producer and vocalist Purient has released her brand new EP, Memories. The pseudonym of Kate Durman, Purient's music sits in many places at once: pop-leaning vocals mix and float above intricate and forward-thinking electronic production, while holding firm roots in club territory with ambient influences. Having released music over the last five years, Memories symbolises a marked shift in evolution for the producer who effortlessly moves between ethereal and tender moments into brash and pulsating industrial dance abrasiveness.

Featuring three original songs in the title track, 'Fantasy' and 'Sad', as well as two remixes courtesy of Eartheater (whose music recently appeared in the fashion show for Mugler) and Varg²™, Memories is a brave exploration of what it means to be an "electronic" artist in 2021. Refusing to be stifled by traditional constraints, Purient pushes her craft well and truly past the limits of what you might expect. She simultaneously lets it rip for all-out dance moments as she does baring her soul in her lyrics, and channels all she's learnt over the last half-decade into a five-track release which completely sets her apart from the plethora of other producers trying to stand out at the moment. It's emotive, evocative and sounds wholly personal while still providing enough #vibe to keep you hooked. And, with the additions of two remixes into the official release, it's also impressive to see how strongly the originals hold up when completely re-imagined.

Released via Burning Rose and PelvisMemories is out in the world now. Here, Purient takes us through each of the tracks on her release. Dive in below!

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Memories

I wrote Memories in early 2018 with the intention of producing a club track that DJs could tool and have fun with. I sought inspiration from the abundance of underground talent in my city of Melbourne, where there is a huge and diverse pool of DIY artists. At the time, I was trying to work up the courage to play my first show, and this song helped to bridge that gap. Lyrically, the song speaks to the concept of being attached to an idea that you once had of someone.

Fantasy

Fantasy was written in one evening in 2019, where I’d trusted my instinct to skip a social gathering to write music instead. “Let me show you, you are my home”. It’s a very heartfelt and special song to me, and is telling of the excitable butterflies and romantic feelings that were consuming me at that time. I was beginning to grow closer to someone who made me feel safe and loved. I had no set intention when writing/producing it, but the feelings were there, so it all unfolded on its own. This is my favourite track of the Memories EP.

Sad

Sad is one of the first songs I ever wrote in 2014. I’d just moved to Melbourne and I had always wanted to make my own music but I lacked the equipment or a working laptop. I downloaded some janky app on my phone and started playing around with the pads and singing. At the time, I had identified with some painful feelings, so the lyrics in the original demo were much wordier and more depressing. When I reworked the track in 2017, I was super wary of over-producing it as I appreciated the simplicity of the original instrumental. ‘Did I make you sad?’ is the only lyric that stayed, which is a reflection of my younger self who couldn’t fathom why my negativity and pessimism were pushing people away. The lyric is simple in nature from the outside, but it’s a special reminder to me of my own personal growth.

Memories (Eartheater Remix)

Eartheater completely deconstructed each element and transformed Memories into an ethereal, experimental and avant-garde piece. I couldn’t have possibly anticipated the outcome of the Memories remix as each of Eartheater’s releases are extremely unpredictable and genre bending. She added her own vocals and essentially produced an entirely new version of the song. Eartheater is a real inspiration to me so I was overwhelmed with excitement that she was keen to work on it.

Fantasy (Varg²™ Remix)

Varg²™ is one of my favourite producers, so I was completely elated when he said he was keen to make an edit of Fantasy. He’s so kind and was complimentary of the original Fantasy track and updated me each step of the way. I was blown away at his process of turning this slow and drawn-out love song into a high intensity club track. I love every single element he added and altered; the distorted/high pitched vocal sampling and the pacing of it all. It was truly surreal watching the footage of Varg²™’s Boiler Room x Dekmantel set where he played the Fantasy Remix. It’s such a fun track to dance to or DJ and I’m so proud to have Varg²™’s remix on this EP.

Memories by Purient is out now via Burning Rose / Pelvis Records. Buy/stream here.

Introduction by Emma Jones

Image by Jamie Timony

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