Loren Beri Shares New Single 'Genesis 2.0' Ahead of Debut EP

Brooklyn-based synth-pop artist, Loren Berí, releases his glimmering fourth single, "Genesis 2.0"-a deeply personal track that allows Berí to process his father's death, understanding the grief is never quite finished, and accepting this reality.

Similar to Beri's recent releases, today's offering brings listeners back into the fictionalized version of New York City created by the musician, called the Stray Cat Kingdom. Loren Berí's debut EP of the same name, a five-track collection written and recorded by Berí, is due out July 20, 2022 and available for pre-order now.

For over ten years, poring over a piano for hours on end, Berí struggled to find the right words to articulate such grave loss. "Genesis 2.0" is the result of processing the death of Berí's father, where he finds catharsis and realizes this process is never quite done, existing as a wound that never really closes-it's everlasting.

What began as a caricature, larger-than-life, absurd tale about his family, turned into Berí coming to terms with this heartache, and discovering himself in ways he never thought possible. "By creating this song, I was letting go of trying to process his death, and accepting that on a deep level I'll never be able to fully do that. That grieving at this level of someone close to you, maybe especially from when you're young, doesn't completely end," shares Berí.

"Finishing the song's absurd verses and bridge allowed me to cut through the choruses' grief that lives beneath the whole song. By creating a larger-than-life caricature of my family I could show myself the want to be living this whimsical, magical and beautiful life but with the knowledge that it's make-believe atop a grief that doesn't go away," explains Berí. Part of this grieving process is conveyed cleverly through the song's structure. "The verses and bridge are the caricature and the life without the grief, in three dimensions and technicolor. The chorus is the reality."

The track builds slowly over a synthy melody as the musician moves forward in the pursuit of healing-both the young child he once was, and the man he is today. In collaboration with O Mer, Berí dives into the thought behind their the sonic process, "O Mer had this idea for creating the sort of Ziggy driving 70's rock vibe to the bridge and added this sort of Mick Ronson inspired guitar and drums there, but filtered it back into the surreal synth-pop that I think let me explore feelings in a way that rock couldn't on its own."

Much like the track's structure, the creative production choices similarly match the track's messaging. "The 70's glam rock vibe O Mer put to the bridge is an extension of the caricature and make-believe I hid from grief with, but this glowing glam rock cuts out at my words 'I mistook reverb for God / Where was Reverb the day Dad died / We lost him at the free throw line / scoreboards set him free'--it's like the moment of waking up from inside the glimmering delusion that protects me from grieving. The injured child inside myself realizing he's living in a dream until he accepts his father is gone forever."

All of Berí's previous singles, "My Brooklyn (Is Better Than Yours)," "Prince V" featuring Itamar and "Greta's Inn," featuring Kishi Bashi (of Montreal, One Jupiter) return to a world set in a romanticized, alternate version of New York City. Here, imagination and distorted reality meet, as Berí introduces a slew of characters, and in turn, various aspects of his life, over bubbling, synthy beats and tongue-in-check lyricism.

The first single, "My Brooklyn (Is Better Than Yours)" premiered with FLOOD Magazine, who called it "a wildly magnetic-and hilarious-homage to NYC." FLOOD continues, "The song pairs Berí's bubbly synths and catchy melodies with tales of a fizzled cross-country fling, visions of Berlin and brunch and Bryant Park, and plenty of tongue-in-cheek digs..with a joyful, roving feel."

The previous release, "Greta's Inn" describes a hidden tavern shrouded in mystery where the icons of Berí's world-both past and present-coincide. On the twinkling track, Berí is joined by Bashi who plays violin and contributes lead vocals and harmonies, as well as Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms For Peace, Dirty Projectors) on percussion, who combine to immerse listeners into an enchanting realm, in which it's easy to escape.

Loren Berí grew up surrounded by classical music, spending countless hours at the piano. Berí began writing songs by the age of 15 to cope with the loss of his father, and by college, he was bouncing around various bands before planting roots in New York City. After a naturally lonely and difficult adjustment period amidst a pandemic, Beri's debut EP began to take shape. After meeting and befriending producer O Mer, who produced and mixed three of the EP's five songs, a project began to solidify, catching the hearts and minds of both Bashi and Refosco who are both featured on the EP.

With "Genesis 2.0", out everywhere now, Loren Berí continues to illustrate the world of the Stray Cat Kingdom as he makes his way through the depths of grief and heartache to learn healing is an eternal endeavor, and that there might just be peace in that realization. All four of the latest singles from Berí including "My Brooklyn (Is Better Than Yours)," "Prince V" featuring Itamar and "Greta's Inn" featuring Kishi Bashi are out everywhere now. Find Loren Berí on Instagram and Facebook and stay tuned for the rising musician's debut EP, Stray Cat Kingdom, due out July 20 and available for pre-order now.

Listen to the new singles here:

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