Social Media and Shocking Twist are actually two individual artists, but for Googling purposes, you’d probably be better off looking them up as a duo. The pair of musicians, consisting of John Messina and Eric Holsten, first met in a New Brunswick, New Jersey dormitory over a decade ago, bonding over a mutual appreciation of Brian Eno and experimental electronic music. After trading musical ideas casually for years, Messina and Holsten have finally pieced together their first EP (The CBDJ EP), which cites influences like The Books, Gorillaz and James Blake.
Today, we are proud to premiere their collaborative new single ‘half smile’, featuring a glitchy, pitch-shifted melody suspended above a bright collage of buzzy electronica and dreamy ambience. The song explores themes of – here comes the shocking twist – overstimulation, virtual reality and digital isolation. Check it out below.
The duo’s debut CBDJ EP will be released 28th October via Mint 400 Records.
