Dazed Mix: yunè pinku | Dazed

For yunè pinku, music exists in mystical places. Take the name of the singer and producer’s new EP, BABYLON IX, for example: it draws inspiration from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the only Ancient Wonder of the world whose existence is still contested, and also from the phrase ‘Cloud 9’, itself a higher plane of transcendental existence. Of course, we aren’t able to reach either of these spaces physically, but that doesn’t make them any less real, or the journeys we take to reach them any less meaningful.

On BABYLON IX, pinku sets out on these journeys, combining a heady mix of spectral vocals and frantic breakbeats to a truly intoxicating effect. New single “Sports”, a track that pinku describes as “an angry version of Lana Del Rey’s ‘Video Games’”, is both assured and electrifying, evenly matched by the euphoric melisma of “Fai Fighter”, or the playful impishness of “Night Light”. While 2022 EP Bluff dealt in the “sad girl garage” persona that she’d been previously known for, this new six-track collection gleefully ladles on the gloss, with pinku presenting a body of work as polychromatic as the mind it was born from.

In anticipation of her exclusive Dazed mix, we sat down with the artists to discuss their musical memories, obsession with the occult, and a potential new album on the horizon.

What are some of the main inspirations behind BABYLON IX? 

yunè pinku: Metaverses, cyber realms, and shaking religious shame ideas.

What’s the thinking behind the name?

yunè pinku: A degree is aesthetic since I’ve always liked how ‘Babylon’ looks as a word, but I guess the idea of this separate realm in which the music exists, like the Hanging Gardens or Cloud 9. 

Can you describe what inspired the visuals behind your recent projects? There are some references to the occult and mysticism that we found super interesting.

yunè pinku: Well I pictured this whole world that the music was a soundtrack for, and it had all these characters. I think the world fell somewhere between a cyberpunk oppressive world and a mystically liberated one. But I’ve always found Celtic mythology and symbolism really fascinating anyway, so I thought we would thread that through the project. 

What are some of your earliest memories of music? Have they influenced your sound at all?

yunè pinku: Most of my memories of early gigs were from when my mum worked at the Irish Cultural Centre, and I’d sit and watch these traditional Irish bands play the flute and fiddle. There was one band in particular called Flook who I remember my mum would play for my sister and I when we were going to sleep as kids. I think all of that definitely fostered musical expression in me. 

How would you describe the scene in London? How has the city contributed to your sound?

yunè pinku: I fall in and out of love with London quite a lot. I think London is a perfect in-between place. It’s so busy and so lonely simultaneously, and there’s always something to do but it’s very easy to become overwhelmed and do nothing instead. But I think it’s great just because you meet all sorts of characters and randomly stumble into random or amazing scenarios by accident – there are constant opportunities here.

What are you listening to at the moment?

yunè pinku: Right now I’m listening to a lot of Todd Rungren’s Healing album, and some Wolf Alice, and the Prodigy – so, a bit all over the place!

Do you have any fun projects or shows lined up?

yunè pinku: I’m slowly trying to put together the roots of an album and trying to be a bit more level-headed and less explosive this time round. I’m also doing my next London headline in May, first US headline shows and festivals this summer, as well as a bunch of new countries I haven’t played/been to yet, so looking forward to doing some exploring. 

Tell us about your Dazed mix.

yunè pinku: This mix is a collection of a bit of musical deep dive I did recently into ambient electronic music, so these are a few of my favourite pulls. Some of these were found at record store listening stations and others on playlist scours.

Tracklist

1. “Head high” – Hex pad 
2. “Kilometre” – Easter (yune edit) 
3. “Alps 2” – Blur Vid 
4. “Kloyd” – Don’t feel like it did
5. “Swoose” – brepo 
6. “Wish it would rain (massive vibe moment)” – Loft 
7. “Celestine” – Andras 
8. “Calico” – 1tbsp 
9. “Breathe Easy” –Josi devil 
10. Sophie Livestream Heav3n suspended 
11. “Built on sand” – Batu 
12. “Cosmic Chaos” – ICY 
13. “you all I need” – unknown artist 
14. “Mutant exotic” – LSDXOXO
15. “Jasper Tyger” – 92
16. “Domina” – Maurizio (Carl Craig remix)
17. “Ahahahadream” – Melty
18. “Intro” – Ishmael Ensemble 

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