CHOROPHOBIA by Weval

Critically-acclaimed Dutch electronic duo Weval (AKA Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers) release ‘CHOROPHOBIA’, their new album on Ninja Tune imprint Technicolour. The album arrives after a string of new singles from the duo, including new single “MOVEMENT”, up-beat “JUST FRIENDS”, UK-bass-infused “DOPAMINE" and “OPEN UP THAT DOOR FT. KILIMANJARO”.

When it came to making their fourth album, ‘CHOROPHOBIA’, Weval faced their fears. Despite being grouped into the dance scene since their 2013-released debut EP ‘Half Age’ and going on to play festival stages including Nuits Sonores, Lowlands, Primavera, Best Kept Secret, Pukkelpop and DGTL Amsterdam with their five-piece band, Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte Albers have actively pushed away from being known as a floor-filling act. But, more recently, when the pair stumbled across the phrase chorophobia - which means a fear of dancing - they decided to lean into the irony and get out of their comfort zones. “Until that point, we had always worked on records with a 'listening' mindset,” Harm reflects of Weval’s second and third albums (2019’s ‘The Weight’ and 2023’s ‘Remember’) – “we realised that we’ve been scared of making dance music for all of our journey as producers”.

Jumping in at the deep end has resulted in Weval’s most extroverted collection to date. While they teased this new direction with 2024’s groovier ‘Night Versions’ EP for Technicolour, letting go of their inhibitions has required patient artistic evolution. “we wanted to commit in a way that still felt liberating and true to us”, Harm says, adding that calling it a dance record not only felt like a u-turn but freed them from the boundaries and cliches of certain categories.

This unrestricted, genre-crossing ethos made room for guilty pleasures, higher BPMs, big drops and an increased number of hi-hats. The titular intro sets the scene and is ominous enough to soundtrack a 70s horror movie, before acid synths take it in a wiggier direction, flowing seamlessly into the spiralling build up of ‘MOVEMENT’. Comparatively, ‘JUST FRIENDS’ would suit a Tame Impala record perfectly, and the funk-infused ‘BETTER’ sits in a similar sphere to records from the Motown era. Featuring vocals from club favourite KILIMANJARO’s brother who spontaneously joined a studio visit, ‘HEAD FIRST’ - ups the ante, as does ‘DOPAMINE’, while the subtler ‘MERCATOR’ forms a bridge between Weval’s previous releases and this record.

An album designed to be experienced with others - ‘CHOROPHOBIA’ is sure to satisfy both longtime fans and lead them to discover a new audience. Not only is it a hedonistic expansion to the sonic world that Weval spent almost a decade building, their stylistically-brave fourth record is proof that doing what scares you the most often ends up being the most thrilling choice to make.

‘CHOROPHOBIA’ is out now.

weval.net
Instagram
SoundCloud
Twitter
YouTube