Emerging from the shadows at the beginning of 2024 with the release of their debut double A-side, Double Happiness is now releasing their long-awaited debut full length ‘Derealisation’. The recording project of Naarm/Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist Sam Jemsek, Double Happiness has created an otherworldly amalgamation of post-punk, goth, darkwave and shoegaze, exploring themes of digital alienation, fractured realities and the disconnect between the physical and virtual.
The project has been going from strength to strength, releasing an incredible six singles in the past 12 months, and gigging relentlessly with the live incarnation of the band.
For Sam, creating an album was an opportunity to craft something bigger than the sum of its parts, almost like making one intricate, ever-evolving composition. Using and reusing sonic elements as recurring motifs, ‘Derealisation’ weaves together like a dreamlike yet deliberate collection of music, with tracks seamlessly connecting before being unexpectedly pulled apart. With reworked versions of singles ‘Electric Sheep’, ‘Staring at the Walls’, ‘Worthwhile’ and ‘Dark Matters’, the release of ‘Derealisation’ marks a new highpoint for Double Happiness, introducing listeners to a fully realized listening experience as introspective as it is expansive.
“If I had to distil the album down to just one thing, I’d say the album is a catalogue of different realities. Each song is kind of like a different brain looking at the same thing. Sometimes it’s a machine, sometimes it’s an animal, sometimes it’s just me after sleeping weird.”– Sam Jemsek, Double Happiness
Inspiration for the project’s sound has come as much from contemporary artists as it has from the genre’s pioneers. Artists like Molchat Doma, Boy Harsher and Buzz Kull have all inspired the sound and direction of the band. More interestingly though, it’s albums like Typical System by Total Control and J Dilla’s classic Donuts that have also shaped the album, not for their sound, but instead for their approach to viewing the album as a whole, uninterrupted work, and the creative freedoms that come with it.
“There was a turning point a few years ago where the vibe of everything got really weird, and never completely went back. You could still go outside, and still do things in the world, but everyone knew that the important and legitimate stuff was happening online somewhere else, and the physical world around you was just one of many content streams. Through the album, I wanted to create some record or artifact that describes this atmosphere, because I have a feeling it’s the same for everyone, but no one can really put it into words.”
Sam Jemsek, Double Happiness
The album was recorded in solitude by Sam in his bedroom, far from the comfort of a well-lit studio with friends and bandmates. It was mixed and produced entirely by Sam, with mastering by the legendary Mikey Young.
Thoughts Words Action 