‘High Life’ is the upcoming single from Amsterdam-based Black Sands. This dark and electric offering is an alchemy of genres; Martino’s R&B vocals meet propulsive hip-hop beats, underpinned by rock influences and coated in electro-pop. Each element that is added to the track brings a different texture, yet never compromises the overall harmony. We caught up with Black Sands about his cinematic new single:
“High Life explores themes of outrunning your past and demons to ultimately create a better life. Even if you’re moving forward and seeing material gains, you can’t outrun the experiences or tragedies that make you who you are. Trying to cope with success is always intertwined with your failure. High Life explores how you choose to move through it.”
Listen to ‘High Life’ on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3TeLu8K5UTRNPalwbnqKB0?si=KEyLDVL8Q_-gDjQuxx2VLQ
Black Sands is the recording project of Milwaukee-born Andrew Balfour, who spent a decade as a touring artist for alt-rock bands, featuring in Alternative Press, Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos. Andrew’s rock influences – Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones – are audible in his music, through the driving percussion and distorted guitar. Following his touring days, Andrew relocated to Amsterdam to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. It was the combination of these two careers that led Andrew to create Black Sands, specialising in producing a sound that creates unity between a variety of elements. ‘High Life’ expands on this, providing listeners with a track that is both familiar and original, and adding to the magnetic potential of Black Sands.