I must admit to being an avid fan of that whole ‘80s aesthetic: from the grid lines to the neon blues and pinks that are very pleasing on the eye. That’s just the imagery female rap duo FEMM have tapped into for their latest video of their latest single Come&Go but far from being retro, it’s set in a dystopian vision of Tokyo that’s beamed back as if from some far distant future.
The very Idea of FEMM (it stands for Far East Mention Mannequins) is very alluring. Two Mannequins, RiRi and LuLa (controlled by Honey-B and W-Trouble respectively), are railing against a patriarchal society with their message of girl power and feminism (their 2015 single was titled FxxK Boyz Get Money). However, there’s been quite a shift in FEMM’s style, it’s less ex-Machina and has been fully upgraded to 2.0. Where previously their movements were quite constrained now they’re looser and more lithe but long term fans shouldn’t worry too much as there’s still that ex-Machina feel, especially in the video, it’s just less pronounced.
Musically too FEMM have evolved. From the purely electronic dance music flavour of their 2014 debut FEMM-Isation they grown in scope to include elements of hip-hop, electronica and Eurodance and Come&Go will appeal equally to fans of any of those genres. Against an animated, post-apocalyptic backdrop RiRi and LuLa move in a far more organic manner, gone are the deliberate robotic movements, as they deliver an earworm of the highest order that’ll slowly entwine itself around your memory bank.
The aptly titled Come&Go finds FEMM moving in a new more biotic, natural direction. Some might find this new sonic and visual shift unsettling and may lose them some fans but Come&Go is strong enough to gain them many more.
Come&Go is released digitally by JPU Records and is available now.*
