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

 

Matt Bellamy of Muse @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)

Muse Reach For The Stars On Ambitious New Album ‘The Wow! Signal’

Muse have never been a band to think small. From dystopian concept records and politically charged anthems to symphonic rock epics and stadium-sized spectacles, the Devon trio have spent more than two decades redefining what modern rock can sound like. Now, with the release of their tenth studio album, The Wow! Signal, Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard once again prove they’re unafraid to venture into uncharted territory.

Brandon Flowers (Chris Phelps)

Brandon Flowers Returns With First Solo Album In Over A Decade, ‘THRASHER’, Shares New Single ‘Plans’

After more than a decade away from solo releases, Brandon Flowers has announced his long-awaited return with THRASHER, his third solo album and first since 2015’s The Desired Effect. The record arrives on 21 August 2026 via Island Records, with its lead single, Plans, available now.

Download Festival XXIII (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Download Festival Is More Than Just the Metal

I’ve been attending Download Festival since 2005. Every year, as I walk through those gates, I feel something that can be difficult to explain to people who have never experienced it. For a few days each June, I stop feeling like I’m standing on the outside looking in. I belong.

Sophie Grey @ Hammersmith Apollo (Kalpesh Patel)

SOPHIE GREY. Reaches For The Moon With Euphoric New Single ‘Lunar Highs (Hands Go Up)’

Rising electro-pop artist SOPHIE GREY. has unveiled her shimmering new single Lunar Highs (Hands Go Up), a euphoric slice of synth-driven pop arriving just ahead of June’s Strawberry Moon and setting the tone for a busy summer of high-profile live performances.

Kimberly Schlapman & Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town @ Royal Albert Hall (Kalpesh Patel)

Little Big Town Team Up With Ashley Monroe On Soulful New Single ‘Sucker For A Sad Song’

Country music favourites Little Big Town have unveiled their latest single, Sucker For A Sad Song, a heartfelt collaboration with acclaimed singer-songwriter Ashley Monroe, offering another enticing preview of their forthcoming album It’s A Dying Art, due for release on 28th August.

Lucia and the Best Boys @ O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire (Kalpesh Patel)

Lucia & The Best Boys Continue Their Rise With A Spellbinding O2 Shepherd’s Bush Performance

Fresh from an acclaimed appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival, Lucia & The Best Boys arrive at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire with momentum firmly on their side. Opening for the reunited 4 Non Blondes, the Glasgow quartet seize the opportunity with a commanding seven-song set that feels less like a support slot and more like a statement of intent.

4 Non Blondes @ O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire (Kalpesh Patel)

4 Non Blondes Return On Their Own Terms At O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

More than three decades after their breakthrough, 4 Non Blondes arrive at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire not to relive the past, but to redefine themselves in the present. Supported by the excellent Lucia & The Best Boys, the reunited San Francisco outfit make it abundantly clear that this tour is not a nostalgia exercise. Instead, it is a bold statement of who they are now — and whether the audience is willing to come with them.

Snow Patrol @ Eden Sessions (Adam Smith)

Snow Patrol Complete The Hat-Trick At Eden Sessions In An Evening Of Heart, Humour And Hits

There are few concert settings in Britain as naturally dramatic as the Eden Sessions. Nestled within a former clay pit and framed by the iconic biomes of the Eden Project, the venue possesses a unique sense of occasion before a note is even played. On this June evening, the Cornish weather appears determined to play its part too. Persistent rain hangs over the site for much of the day, only to disappear almost on cue as Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly and Johnny McDaid walk on stage. It feels as though somebody has edited the weather into the evening’s script.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing