CLOSE COUNTERS REVEAL BROKEN-BEAT SINGLE ‘SPEAK IN TRUTH’ FEATURING ALLYSHA JOY

“Close Counters know their sound inside and out. It’s dance music that feels authentically warm and human. I can’t help but get a euphoric contact rush from this new track.”
– Dave Ruby Howe – triple j Unearthed (AUS)

Added to rotation on Double J

Melbourne based production duo Close Counters follow up their ‘UP AND OUT‘ single (which was championed by Bradley Zero, XLR8R & NME), teaming up with renowned vocalist (and Gondwana & First Word Records) signee Allysha Joy for their high energy new single ‘SPEAK IN TRUTH‘.

With a knack for flow and re-inventing, the past 12 months has seen Close Counters turn in remixes for the likes of Young Franco & Denzel Curry, Bag Raiders (which was premiered by Phil Taggart on BBC Radio 1), ZFEX, as well as fellow Melbourne natives 30/70 Collective (on Rhythm Section).

‘SPEAK IN TRUTH’ sees 30/70’s Allysha Joy step to the microphone, lending her ethereal and mystic tones to the track’s rich sonics. ‘SPEAK IN TRUTH’ sees the production duo (composed of Finn Rees and Allan McConnell) combining broken-beat flavours with the duo’s signature soundscape at the crossroads of house, neo-soul, hip-hop and disco.

On her inspiration for the track, Allysha explains:

“This was such a beautifully healing and fun song to write, the words came from a reminder to myself, to tell the damn truth!! After returning from an incredible European tour with 30/70 last year, I honestly felt depleted, depressed and disconnected, to put it lightly! I was so lacking in self confidence and positive energy that i had begun to really shy away from challenging conversations and writing this song was a kind of ‘get your shit together’ moment for me. I felt really disconnected to the people that I love, I felt I was protecting them by being polite or quiet or pretending to be ‘okay’. I was so afraid of the judgement; left dimming my light for the sake of other people. But wow it can be so much more damaging for ourselves and those close to us if we pretend, if we stay silent, if we don’t tell it how it is, honestly! Speaking your truth and allowing others to do the same cultivates spaces of healing and connection. We are all human, we all want connection and we all want honesty.”

After a move across the Tasman Sea a few short years ago from Hobart, the duo had expanded and enlisted a full 7-piece setup with live-percussion, woodwind and stringed instruments joining the tour de-force on stage which features dancers from their greater collective. In a relatively short spanning career, Close Counters have swept crowds supporting Sofi Tukker, Roland Tings, Tall Black Guy and their most recent East Coast headline tour of Australia saw the team continue to sell out shows with an impressive 1,100 tickets across two shows at Melbourne’s infamous The Night Cat after gracing the Meredith Music Festival stage at midnight ahead of Liam Gallagher on the billing to which the amphitheater was left heaving and punters enthralled.

In 2021, the pair have sold out all three of their Melbourne Music Week events at Colour Club, without announcing the shows to their fanbase and recently played to a packed house at the Myer Music Bowl.

Close Counters’ works have been supported by tastemakers Indie Shuffle, Giles Peterson, NME, Pilerats, EARMILK, The Sound You Need, Stoney Roads and radio crews at BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6, triple j, Worldwide FM, KEXP Seattle, NTS and Balamii. All the while collecting millions of streams and cementing their status as one of Australia’s hottest house and soul exports.

‘SPEAK IN TRUTH’ is available worldwide now