I needed something light and fresh for the weekend and Ceremony allowed us to premiere this USF release. It has its moments of that speedy digital chopped up sound that makes you feel like your scrolling through a teenagers tumblr, but what separates them from the rest of the pack is the thoughtful softness chosen to form the melodic side of this record.

SUPPORT: Digital via Bandcamp

USF (formerly Universal Studios Florida) is an ongoing collaboration between longtime friends and Seattle natives Jason Baxter and Kyle Hargus. Since their inception in 2008, USF has recorded and released over five hours-worth of hypnotic, genre-bent music, including three EPs, the seminal debut full-length Ocean Sunbirds, a record inspired by the writing of Jonathan Lethem (2011’s The Spray), and a myriad of remixes for an eclectic mix of artists.

SIMISM is their most adventurous release to date and the duo’s first for Ceremony: a pulsing, club-worthy collection of tracks that departs from their established, diaphanous sound towards something more immediate and direct. Songs like “Sibilant,” “Free ‘Til Midnight,” and “Outtamind” (which features soulful guest vocals from Fatha Green) reach for euphoric new highs and refute the increasingly impersonal, rapidly-digitizing world around us. Ultimately yearning for intimacy from the lonely heart of the concrete jungle.