Lalalow is a Finnish electronic pop duo formed in 2018 by two musicians, Nina Jackson (vocals and keyboard) and Tommi Laivamaa (guitar/bass).
Their latest single “Sensory Deprivation” is a hypnotic experience, narrating the feeling of isolation and not being able to use your senses to know what’s real and what’s not. These emotions instead lead you to develop feelings, thoughts, illusions and images swirling around inside your head, making it hard to decipher what’s reality. Jackson shares, “The story behind the single is that I felt isolated from the rest of the world because of covid, but it was not only that. I often have this lonely and isolated feeling even without covid. I guess it’s just my introspective mind playing games”.
A common theme throughout their music is the human mind, touching on both psychological and philosophical aspects. Jackson explains her writing originally started, “because I couldn’t express my feelings with logical sentences”. “Sensory Deprivation” highlights the battle of expressing, regulating and understanding the mind. Lalalow confide, “there are two sides in creating your own world as even though it might drive you crazy, you get in love with your own paranoid thoughts and develop a kind of “stockholm syndrome” relationship with them and at the end of the day want to remain isolated.”
“Sensory Deprivation” is a deep dive of electro pop, alternative indie/rock and psychedelic flares, with an industrial glaze that adds a juxtaposed gritty feel. The drums are characterful, building and complex over shimmering dream pop synths, bass and backing vocals that swarm the soundscapes in euphoria and despair throughout the melodic travels. Jackson’s voice comprises smoky tones and soft high swirling melodies.
Lalalow always strives to cease the opportunities to take listeners into other dimensions of their imagination, discovering sounds you haven’t heard before. The duo truly believe in being a beacon of light for introverts and creating an escape from the mind through creativity, They express, “We also hope we can give a voice for people who are very thorough and maybe a sort of over sensitive misfits who overthink every little silly thing and then have a need to escape it and just be creative and not think that much for a while. In other words we want to express an introvert’s feelings”.
