#XI Retrogrades

Here's a first to hit my inbox: self-labeled "normcore" music. Still not really sure what makes this normcore per se, but I was pretty surprised to discover how much I liked it. It's like James Blake meets Omarion, infused with a bit of piano play.

In case you've been hiding under an Internet rock, normcore was all the Twitter rage a few weeks ago. Shit, it still is. Essentially, it's about fashion, i.e. bland Seinfeld-esque fashion, that's not fashionable-but-actually-fashionable. Trend forecasting firm K-HOLE describes it as "about welcoming the possibility of being recognizable, of looking like other people"”and seeing that as an opportunity for connection, instead of as evidence that your identity has dissolved." It's more than fashion though, with Dazed recently trying to describe what normcore would sound like. It's a movement akin to hipsterdom, ripe for hatred from the masses and adoption by nobodies and everybody at the same time. I know - confusing.

Anyways, "Retrogrades" is musical duo #XI's first release on the Internet.  Not much else is known about the artist, perhaps because they wanted their 'identity dissolved'? They say they're embracing sameness and that we're all making #normcore music. I don't really understand. Their music's good though, and I hope there's more to come.