Danish experimental rock trio Poptones have unveiled their new single Say Something Now, offering a taste of the unpredictability and emotional depth that defines their upcoming sophomore album Pure, out 26th September via Happy Metal Records. Where lead single Skin Of Sea teased a shift toward expansive and instinctive composition, Say Something Now dives headlong into that experimental impulse—guided, intriguingly, by the rules of UNO. Yes, the beloved card game.
Poptones
While holed up at a remote artist residency on Denmark’s wild North Jutland coast—coincidentally the final retreat of former Danish Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag—the trio devised the “UNO-Improvisation Game,” a chance-based system assigning musical behaviours via colour and action cards. Red meant chaos, green meant stillness, and action cards could flip or amplify the rules. “Think Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies meets John Zorn’s Cobra,” they explain.
“The chorus was taken straight from that improvisation,” the band shares. “Anders and Simon both drew red, meaning they had to play with intensity and unpredictability. Mads drew green with a ‘turn around’ card, so he had to play his bass backwards—fretting with his right hand. It led to this beautiful tension: the chaos of drums and guitar, anchored by a bassline that barely moves.”
That push-and-pull dynamic, shaped by serendipity but grounded in intention, encapsulates Poptones’ core aesthetic. Despite the chaotic process, Say Something Now unfolds into something deeply reflective and human. The lyrics grapple with the tension between ambition and disillusionment. “The lyrics are about delusionally imagining and dreaming about one’s own future, only to realize that it’s just a dream,” the band says. “A hopeful story of youth and feeling ready to take the next step in life.”
Formed on Denmark’s rural west coast, Poptones—comprised of Mads Bertelsen (vocals/bass), Simon Hiemstra (guitar), and Anders Poulsen (drums)—have evolved from their noise-rock roots into an outfit that fuses visceral improvisation with cinematic soundscapes. Their time at Copenhagen’s Rhythmic Music Conservatory helped them refine their adventurous approach, with Pure marking the most ambitious iteration of their sound yet.
Alongside their core trio, Pure features a rich cast of collaborators including Oscar Alstrup (saxophone), Victor Kaas (of EYES and LLNN), Rémy Gouffault (vibraphone), and Harald Ingvarsson (guitar). Pure follows 2022’s debut Between Darkness & Daylight and will be released digitally and on vinyl via Happy Metal Records on 26th September. With Say Something Now, Poptones continue to build a world where experimental rock isn’t just boundary-pushing—it’s deeply personal.
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