Dark Pop's HAZE has released her darkest single to date in 'Skin'
14 June 2021
Newsdesk
Share with:
Diving into the dark cinematic universe we introduce H A Z E.
French born, London based dark pop singer songwriter H A Z E (aka Hazel Smith) is back with her third official single, Skin. The Dark cinematic single lays hints of electro and experiments with other genres such as synth wave and prog rock.
Taking a wild turn for a darker, heavier sound, Skin is an exacerbated depiction of deep instincts at their worst, diving into the darker corners of a troubled mind. The song follows the seemingly schizophrenic theme of Split - the Shyamalan movie - telling the story through an evil twin’s point of view as it takes control to live out one’s most unspeakable fantasies. Collaborator and guitarist Jamal Aggoun once again worked on the arrangements for this song, along with producer Bob Matthews. To finish it off, Skin was mastered by engineer Dick Beetham at 360 Mastering.
Drawing inspiration from the darkness of 80s synthpop band Depeche Mode, 90s industrial rock Nine Inch Nails and newly anointed darkpop queen Billie Eilish, H A Z E not only sets a somber atmosphere through her lyricism but also by using compositional twists such as the use of tritones and unexpected modulations, making for unusual chord progressions. Switching from her trademark dreamy sights and signature neon blue locks Haze gives us a darker side with minimalistic studio visuals to emphasize the story telling in the lyrics.
Formerly known as the lead singer for rock band D’Haze, Hazel Smith continues to embark on her solo journey with her new project H A Z E. Even though words and voices hold a central place in her solo work, H A Z E gives a lot of importance to sound design and arrangements to carefully craft each song’s sonic imprint and create a different ambience each time, along with artistic imagery and visuals.
“H A Z E is a musician who has taken the brave step of re-inventing herself and has this uncanny ability to stretch you mind and heart. A change of direction is blowing in the wind and we need to join her for this riveting ride.” - A&R Factory
“Formerly the lead singer of rock band D’Haze, Smith now performs under the H A Z E moniker and has shifted to a dark-pop, electronic focused sound. On her debut single ‘King’, her clear vocals float above brooding guitars and hazy electronics, with her mantra-like lyrics encouraging empowerment and self-rule.” - Get in Her Ears
