Modernist Post-Punk artist Julia Gaeta shares the second single from her upcoming new EP Blur Divine, due for release on July 2nd, 2024. “Hangin On A Dream,” is the new single from this release and you can stream it today at Ghost Cult! Produced by Alex DeGroot (Zola Jesus), pre-orders and pre-saves are live at the links below. Check it out! 

Julia comments:
“Hangin On A Dream,” she says, “is about coming to terms with your desires, and realizing you may have never had them fulfilled. You’re grasping at something and it slips away, leaving you hanging, confused, wondering. The verses were written on the spot in a studio in Portugal. This is a dual-part song, one that begins very intimately and floaty, and then swells deeper into a trance-like state.” 

Blur Divine isn’t just a collection of love songs – quite the opposite. These are unlove songs veiled in facades of closeness, distorted reality and warped perceptions. They tell the story of how loving someone can sometimes mean walking the perilous path of losing oneself, and in order to balance the scales once again, the act of unloving another becomes of utmost importance. Visual themes on this EP – on the cover, in the video etc – are of absinthe and murky swamps, representing the continual warping of reality that can easily swallow those who feel the most.

Gaeta has been inspired by personal events, stories of those around her, and perhaps most of all: the push-pull energy of gritty Paris nights. Her perception of the city feels constantly in flux – a testament to the idea that we create our own realities. 

The EP was mostly written between two locations in Paris, beginning in 2020 pandemic lockdowns, after Gaeta had just moved to Paris from Berlin. One was a sublet in the 8th floor of a 1970s apartment complex, with renowned Père Lachaise Cemetery as her backyard and the sprawling cityscape of Paris in the front. The apartment felt like a lo-fi sex dungeon with faux leather curtains, fetishwear found in closets, mysterious stains and a mirror surrounding the bed. To Gaeta, it represented a window into a collective psyche, of others’ pain and pleasure. The second location was more isolated from much of the city’s hustle and bustle, providing an introspective and personal space to create. These dual locations certainly influenced the record’s dynamic. 

In late 2021, Gaeta linked up with James “Perturbator” Kent, who took an interest in the track’s dark trip-hop sound. He produced and mixed the track, which coincided with a video by filmmaker David Fitt – an ode to Paris nights. 

In 2023, when Gaeta had a full EP complete, she reached out to LA-based producer Alex DeGroot, who is particularly adept at blending organic and electronic sounds, and the two worked across the miles to bring Blur Divine to life.

With her debut solo EP, Blur Divine, Paris-based American musician Julia Gaeta invites listeners into a nocturnal world of introspective yet danceable ‘unlove’ songs. Blending lush dark pop with industrial textures and sultry grit, Blur Divine explores the warped perception, fragmented reality and obsession that comes with love gone awry – but drapes these more sinister themes in an ethereal, fragile veil.

Growing up listening to metal, grunge, post-punk and goth music, Gaeta inevitably carries with her the influences of bands such as Alice in Chains, Depeche Mode and Killing Joke. But she also draws from her deep love of ‘90s and early ‘00s pop and hip-hop – plus the era of big production they helped usher in. Blur Divine feels like an enigmatic melding of these influences, with some early 4AD vibes added for good measure. After playing guitar in bands for nearly a decade, Gaeta dropped her first solo single, “Weight of You,” in early 2022 – which featured a rare production and mixing appearance from James “Perturbator” Kent. That was the first taste of her immersive world, and it was welcomed with praise among fans across genres. “Weight of You” is set to be included as a B-Side on Blur Divine.

Gaeta has now teamed up with LA-based producer Alex DeGroot – best known for his work with Zola Jesus – to expand her sonic landscape. Laced with massive beats, distorted synths, echoing guitars and Gaeta’s undeniable vocal depth, Blur Divine reels us in immediately and intimately, and beckons us to follow a path into realms oddly familiar yet unexplored.

Julia Gaeta plans to tour her EP in the second half of 2024 and into 2025. She is also beginning work on an LP.