The Bite Magazine Issue 17

Temptress W ith a subtle dose of ‘80s-influ- ence pop that often gets lost in today’s music and a hint of R&B, London-based duo Temptress deliv- ers their single ‘Guilty Pleasure’ with a sultry art of suggestion. The video to the song opens up with a flashing heart- shaped symbol and then a shot of a smiling naked Barbie doll that looks real happy about the possibility of pole-danc- ing on a streak of purple lights.We then cut to female singer Jessica who seems to have a thing about caressing naked dolls and the faces of female mannequins while she sings and is telling whoever she is singing to that she wants them off her mind. The scene also shows her male companion, Vlad providing some of the lyrics. There is an air of mystery in this video as you decipher the theme and subject of the song. Vlad and Jessica explain that the new single is about “being addicted to a secret; it’s about a casual fling that is suddenly serious; feelings of regret turn to euphoria; a desperate need to unload your obsession onto someone without knowing why.” So perhaps that is what the symbolism of naked dolls and mannequins is, and their heads found on the floor is all about the sense of not knowing exactly where you are in this fiasco of confusion: whether you really need this person or not and if you can keep your obsession under wraps before it gets too out of hand.What is a temptress to do in a situation like this? Having received their first play on Huw Stephen’s Radio 1 show in October,Temptress was then premiered online with Wonder- land , with DIY describing the track as a “skronky pop banger of the highest order.” The duo write and produce their own material, thus creating inven- tive and sophisticated R&B infused pop, effortlessly blurring the lines between electronica and pop whilst layering their smooth boy/girl vocals to generate a fresh urban sound all of their own. ‘Guilty Pleasure’ is out now via Machine Records. www.machinemanagement.co.uk Guilty Pleasure bite new music