Meet Porcelain Boy, who make chaotic rave-pop with their debut single, dull girl

It's no secret that we're in constant search of something that'll take us back to the peaks of the mid-2000s period in Australian electronica, a time laden with nostalgia for thick-footed acid-house and beaming house-pop brought by some of the country's now biggest and best: The Presets, Bag Raiders, Cut Copy and so on. It's a time constantly referenced by modern-day electronic musicians constantly trying to revive some of the sounds associated with this time, and regardless of how close they get, it's always so much fun hearing these sweaty, rave-ready sounds brought into modern day times through smart production and clever songwriting.

A lot of the time, nods to this time come through musicians who were just finding their feet in this period. Golden Features' collaborative EP with The Presets was drenched with mid-2000s nostalgia, as is some of the current-day work by Mickey Kojak and Bag Raiders. Newomcing Sydney duo Porcelain Boy are different through, going in guns blazing back to this time with their debut single, and capturing our attention as ones to keep an eye on within the electronic realm in the process of doing so.

Their debut single dull girl is an acidic, dancefloor-ready explosion of rave-pop that takes mannerisms plucked from this era – gritty guitar work, dancing synth leads, deep-spoken vocals – and brings them forward into 2020, combining them in modern influences to give dull girl a 2020-ready edge, instead of it just being a rehash of old sounds (which, considering the time period they're taking from, wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing in itself). Throw in a couple of nods to acts like RAAVE Tapes and even a bit of Britney, and you have a full-rounded experience that'll make you ready for the sun-soaked grounds of Parklife once again, and the pinger-fuelled chaos the festival welcomed into Australia.

"There’s a difficult line between indulging in a moment, and accepting the fact that all good things are terminal," the duo say on the single, which marks a perfect introductory group to the pairing ahead of new music incoming very shortly. "It’s hard to not let the latter spoil that which has not yet come to pass. It’s a sorry predicament that is a little too familiar to the bulk of the people we know, where by fearing the end, they manifest it."

There's a lot to love in here, and with dull girl being a respectable entrance for a duo that wouldn't have been on your radar already, consider it the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to the pairing and perhaps even find your next favourite new act:

Tell us about yourself?

We call ourselves Jordxn. Our names are Jordan and Jordyn so it seemed like a nice compromise, you know? Central Coast raised but we feel a lot more at home in our new home here in the outer-inner west of Sydney.

This is a new project for us but we’ve been dancing around the scene in various projects for a minute now. Between us we’ve got quite a penchant for pretty-gritty and pretty-pretty things, whether that be in what we see, do, or like to hear so it feels as though Porcelain Boy has become a space to further explore these inclinations.

What’s the ‘vibe’ music-wise?

We're a coupla suckers for a lead synth and a boots-n-cats-n beat, but outside of that we’re kind of ready to write wherever the moment takes us. 

We feel as though twenty-first century music has reached a point where in which genre is no longer a constraint, but a vehicle for artists. A pliable tool, blending and bending in any-which way that'll help them further articulate their narrative. But, for the sake of the question, we’d probably say we float somewhere between indie, dance, and pop? 

What are your production and writing processes usually like?

2 glasses of sale bin cab-sav and Dragon Ball Z (Cell Saga) muted in the background is the usual kicker for a session. Both of us Jordxn’s write lyrics and music so for the most part we just take turns leading songs, whatever comes most naturally, really. It always becomes such a collaborative process so as far as the studio goes, there isn’t really any one of us tied to a single role. 

Can you tell us about your new single, dull girl?

This is a song that’s been with us before we even began the Porcelain Boy project. We wrote and then recorded it with Lovemedo, probably the prettiest producer coming out of our hometown. If you’re ever on the Coast, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not getting him to give you a tour of the town. Him or Brae Luafalealo (Boy Soda), or both.

It was originally intended for another artist project, but we felt as though it wasn’t going to be quite right. The song was vaulted, 2020 happened, and now it’s getting the release we hope it deserves.  

What does 2020 have in store for you?

We can’t really be sure of too much at this point, you know, with the biological apocalypse currently in play n all. BUT one thing we are sure of is that there will be alot more creating happening. It isn’t often that there isn’t something cooking between us in the apartment.

What do you want people to take away from the project?

At this stage we'd just love to give people a moment. 

We're not out here trying to change the world with this project just yet, but what we can offer is a coupla minutes. It's not an indefinite escape, but if our music can transform someone's bedroom into the solo rave they need for 3 minutes, we're about it. 

Where can we find more of your music?

Wherever you're streaming, we'll be there. There’s more coming, like, really soon. Our Spotify’s here, we’re on Unearthed and Apple Music too.

Instagram is where you’ll find us usually and see our lives in technicolour, but we’ve got Facebook & Twitter too.

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