Local music duo Xarulu’, essentially Josef Camilleri and Luke Agius, recently released their second single Smells Like a Relic. Already picking up pace on the local radio stations, the single is markedly different from the duo's 2015 debut Grand Paris. "It is rather different to our first single", Camilleri said, "we let the song takes its course and this is how it turned out". Despite not packing as immediate a hook as its predecessor the new single, a laid-back acoustic number that shifts gear mid-song, is a grower; the contrast suggesting an open-minded approach on the band's part. "We feel it is rather pointless to stick to a formula just because it worked the first time", Camilleri added. "In the end it remains a Xarulu' song, but it simply reveals a different aspect to our music".
The song was initially inspired by an old second-hand valve radio that the duo found, eventually discovering it had been manufactured in Germany sometime during the 1950's. "That got us thinking about how this tiny electronic gadget made it possible for German people to connect with the rest of the world despite being separated by the Berlin Wall". More than that, the duo said, "music itself has always been a connecting point between different cultures and people from all walks of life". Underlining the ability of music to transcend even time, the duo explained how, at its core, Smells Like a Relic also contemplates how music from the past can still resonate with the present.
Smells Like a Relic was produced in collaboration with David Vella (Temple Studios) and features local session musicians Mark Attard on keyboards, Dean Montanaro on bass, and Melchior Busuttil on drums. The accompanying music video was directed by Francesco Debono.
The single is available to download via CDBaby.
Click here for more information about Xarulu'.