AR/CO Drop Debut EP Origin Stories

by | Jul 12, 2024

The AR/CO creative universe is a fantastical vision of a futuristic desert rave, their pulsating, psychedelic dance-pop the soundtrack to a society ruled by life, love and liberation. And that imagination is winning the imagination of fans in the real world, their early career highlights including big collabs including Don Diablo, The Stickmen Project and Franky Wah; unforgettable live moments with Sub Focus, Kygo and 5 Seconds Of Summer; and even a GRAMMY Award nomination for their Kx5 feature and co-write / co-production Bright Lights.

AR/CO

AR/CO (Jacob Barri)
AR/CO (Jacob Barri)

Now AR/CO complete the foundations for the first era of their career by sharing their debut EP Origin Stories. It compiles five of their biggest singles to date and is completed by the new focus track Boys Like Girls. Those existing tracks have fired them past 3 million monthly listeners at Spotify, including 15 million streams of Night Feels.

AR/CO say: “Origin Stories was our chance to let people head-dive straight into the enigmatic and wonky world of AR/CO. It’s crazy that we had ideas of this planet where everything was set, to call it AR/CO and build a whole project around it. This EP is us swinging those doors wide open and saying come and hang with us in this place where the music is great and we’re all in it for a good time.

The music on the EP is a capsule collection of songs that we wrote from a place of innocence and creativity through the lockdown, the ideas are inspired and fresh and we know people will fall in love with the place where we rediscovered our passion for music and creativity. Earth is now, AR/CO is forever.”

Whether you’re already a fan of AR/CO’s previous euphoric anthems such as Night Feels and Call Me By My Name or are entirely new to their imaginative and escapist sounds, the new track BOYS LIKE GIRLS is a captivating addition to their growing discography. It’s a track that captures the essence of AR/CO: party vibes, effervescent energy and sweet duelling vocals which fires the dance-pop genre thrilling into the next century.

Mali-Koa adds: “Boys Like Girls was the third song we wrote in a day. Those last minute ideas where you’re tired or hungry can sometimes be so inspired because of how quickly they come. There’s more flow. We always joke about how it’s the 15-minute idea that takes two years to finish, but it was so worth it. It’s such an instant classic, it’s a twist to some of the stuff that came before and one for the girls (and boys) who just wanna have fun.”

Listen to Boys Like Girls below:

Coming from polar opposites on the planet, Mali-Koa (Sydney) and AR/CO partner Leo Stannard (Leicester) started their own individual adventures in music before they met at a writing session. They intended to reconnect, but the pandemic had other ideas – yet undeterred, they spent hours-upon-hours collaborating via Zoom, not only writing songs but imagining an entire world that their music could inhabit. Together, they realised that they loved their new project more than anything they had worked on before. And that was the genesis of AR/CO.

As the world gradually returned to normal, AR/CO’s was changed forever. Landmark moments kept coming: Radio 1 play; two Capital Dance playlists; support from Apple Music 1 / Elton John’s Rocket Hour; mounting acclaim; a sold-out headline tour; a Radio 1 Skyline Session with Franky Wah; hitting Radio 1’s Big Weekend with Sub Focus; a Billboard Music Award nomination for their Tiёsto collab Back Around; significant international progress, particularly in Germany and Italy; and numerous other collaborations including 220 KID, Hayden James, Will Clarke and Jaded.

Rock DJ Robbie Williams Entertains Us With The Glamour And The Party At BST Hyde Park 2024

 

Garbage @ Roundhouse (Kalpesh Patel)

Garbage Celebrate Three Decades Of Defiance At London’s Roundhouse

Thirty years into a career built on challenging convention, Garbage arrive at London’s Roundhouse looking anything but content to trade on nostalgia. Despite three decades of touring the capital, tonight marks the band’s first appearance at the iconic Camden venue, and from the moment Shirley Manson, Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, Butch Vig and touring bassist Nicole Fiorentino step onto the stage, they perform with the urgency of a band still determined to push forwards rather than look back.

Nathan Leaze EP Launch @ Strand Palace Hotel (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Dreaming Of A Memory: Nathan Leazer’s Songs, Stories And Second Chances

There are album launches, and then there are evenings that feel more like an invitation into somebody’s life. Nathan Leazer’s Dreaming Of A Memory EP launch at The Strand Palace Hotel was firmly the latter.

Alison Goldfrapp @ Summer Series Somerset House 2023 (Simon Reed)

Somerset House Summer Series Gets Underway As 2026 Festival Brings Eleven Nights Of Live Music To London

One of London's most eagerly anticipated outdoor concert series returns today (16 July) as Somerset House Summer...
Lifehouse @ O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire (Kalpesh Patel)

Full Circle At O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire: Lifehouse Return To London In Intimate Acoustic Triumph

There are gigs that simply entertain, and then there are gigs that transport you. Lifehouse’s long-overdue return to London at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire is very much the latter. Eleven years since their last visit to the capital, Jason Wade and longtime guitarist Steve Stout strip everything back for the second of two London acoustic shows—following the previous evening’s performance at nearby Bush Hall—and in doing so remind a packed Shepherd’s Bush Empire exactly why these songs have endured for a quarter of a century.

Metallica @ London Stadium (Neil Lupin)

Metallica Double Up For A No Repeat Weekend At London Stadium

It’s the first weekend in July and The Metal has taken over Westfield Stratford. Friday evening shoppers mingle with sweaty black clad rockers, because Metallica have brought their No Repeat Weekend M72 tour to this corner of East London. Now into it’s fourth year, the final weekend of this tour will see the metal giants play two completely different sets over Friday and Sunday night at London Stadium — an immense treat for the diehards, and introducing some deeper cuts for the casuals, providing something for everyone.

Sydney Rose @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Sydney Rose Builds On Breakthrough Success With Intimate New Single ‘Track Team’

Rising singer-songwriter Sydney Rose has returned with her latest single, Track Team, continuing the remarkable momentum that has transformed the Georgia-born, Nashville-based artist into one of alternative pop’s fastest-rising new voices.

Duran Duran @ BST Hyde Park 2026 (Sienna Lorraine Gray)

Duran Duran Crown A Sun-Soaked Day Of Pop Royalty At BST Hyde Park 2026

It was yet another warm, sunny London day, the start of the country’s next heatwave, as thousands descended on Hyde Park for the final day of the second BST Hyde Park weekend of 2026. There was another event looming over the evening too: England’s World Cup Round of 16 clash with Mexico, kicking off at the decidedly unsociable hour of 1am. Football could wait though. Sunday belonged to disco legends, glam-pop icons and one of Britain’s most enduring bands as Duran Duran headlined a day that effortlessly balanced nostalgia with timeless musicianship.

The Script (Simon Emmett)

The Script Celebrate Friendship And Forgiveness On New Single ‘The Crowd Was Singing Wonderwall’

The Script have shared the latest preview of their forthcoming album The User’s Guide To Being Human with the release of the uplifting new single The Crowd Was Singing Wonderwall. Arriving ahead of the band’s eagerly anticipated new album on 14th August, the track follows the anthemic lead single Man In The Arena and continues to showcase a record that promises to balance heartfelt storytelling with the arena-sized choruses that have become synonymous with The Script throughout their career.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing