The Third Eye

Pinhdar is an Milan, Italy-based trip-hop duo comprised of singer Cecilia Miradoli and guitarist producer Max Tarenzi that has returned with a new single, “Humans,” off their upcoming second album, A Sparkle On The Dark Water. The new album will drop on March 22nd, and “Humans” is a shadowy and sinuous single that offers a perfect preview of the upcoming new music.

Pinhdar was born out of experiences in the rock band Nomoredolls and the organization of the international music festival A Night Like This. The duo explores the fusion between trip-hop, dark wave, and electronica with originality, and they’re heavily influenced by the Bristol scene. Since trip-hop has its roots in much psychedelic music, Pinhdar is a good pick for Third Eye readers (in my opinion).

The group’s self-titled debut EP in 2019 received praise from British critics, and in 2021, they released their first album, Parallel, via Fruit de Mer Records with the collaboration of legendary producer Howie B. A subsequent European tour included prestigious venues like Sterolux in Nantes and Dr. Sardonicus Psych Fest in the U.K. In 2023, Pinhdar completed the upcoming album A Sparkle On The Dark Water with producer Burno Ellingham, a former Massive Attack and Portishead collaborator.

“Humans” is a rad song that provides a deep and reflective look at the human condition (read the full lyrics on Bandcamp) as it explores the nuances of life through the evocative voice of Miradolo and the reverberating guitar and synthetic textures from Tarenzi. The single blends trip-hop, dream pop, and darktronica elements to offer an indulgent glimpse into life’s fragility.

The new song is accompanied by a stunning and artsy music video (which you can see above) created by Los Angeles-based director and artist Telavaya Reynolds. Reynolds’ work explores states of consciousness, generational heritage, and the relationship between humans and their environments through photography, video, movement, sculpture, and collage. All these themes were explored in the “Humans” video, the first collaboration between Pinhdar and Reynolds.

Pinhdar bills itself as the “creator of parallel realities,” and its music has a dream-like quality. “Humans” has that quality in spades, but so does the rest of the group’s work, especially 2021 LP, Parallel. Fans of Massive Attack, Radiohead, and The Smile should enjoy this one. While sounding more like art and alternative rock, Pinhdar should also appeal to psych-rock fans looking for something different. Check out their new single on Bandcamp and keep your eyes peeled for their upcoming new album in March. Enjoy!

Check out “Humans” by Pinhdar on Bandcamp here.

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