Following the release of acclaimed singles 'Left Behind' and 'What Are We Waiting For?', Wave Racer today announces his long-anticipated debut album To Stop From Falling Off The Earth and shares brand new track 'Look Up To Yourself', out now on Eora/Sydney-based tastemaker label Astral People Recordings. A highlight from the Australian producer and multi-instrumentalist's forthcoming full-length album, 'Look Up To Yourself' doubles as the record's beating heart and core message, as Wave Racer (aka Tom Purcell) combats his anxieties with self-described "corny but helpful" advice, channelled through bright, intriguing, playful pop.
On the track, Wave Racer says, "'Look Up To Yourself' is my attempt at an anthem honouring the freedom of self-love and the perils of self-deprecation. For a long time, I found myself becoming frustrated with the amount of time and energy I would spend trying to prove my own value to myself. I couldn't accept that I deserved to take a break, or deserved to treat myself to something nice without first having something to show for myself, as proof of my contributions. I would feel so useless if I'd had a slow day, or if I'd procrastinated for too long, and I kept subconsciously punishing myself for it."
He adds, "I guess it was like imposter syndrome rooted in an inferiority complex, which was a vicious spiral. So the song is about my discovery of that perilous habit within myself, and more broadly a warning to others about it. It's meant to be a reminder that you have to go easy on yourself sometimes, and that it's always just a matter of perspective. The same way you look up to the people you admire, that needs to be the way you look at yourself."
The single is also supported by a music video directed and produced by Rome with cinematography by Jake Lutz. The clip features submissions from fans including a cameo from Busta Breezie.
To Stop From Falling Off The Earth, available now for pre-order both digitally and on blue vinyl, is a striking, audacious sonic departure for the Sydney-turned-Melbourne-based electronic producer. Across eleven tracks, it seamlessly blends together the sugar-rush of his signature ecstatic 64-bit production with his love of quirk-driven pop - and, in a first, Tom's own voice - to tell a story of overcoming anxiety, depression, and isolation. His tongue-in-cheek sensibilities keep Wave Racer's trademark bubbliness in the mix, even as the album tackles bigger demons.
Inspired by The 1975's artful balance of irony, sincerity, and observational story-telling, Tom reveals more of himself than ever before on To Stop From Falling Off The Earth - all with a signature self-awareness that never takes itself too seriously. The result is vulnerable, self-deprecating pop layered deeply with electronic embarkations; equal parts playful and introspective, light and dark, and an assured re-introduction to the juggernaut talent that is Wave Racer.
In retrospect, Purcell sees his anxieties bubbling up since first finding success as a 21-year-old, when he uploaded tracks 'Rock U Tonite' and 'Stoopid' to SoundCloud on a whim under the name Wave Racer -- an ode to a Nintendo 64 classic that captured the songs' sunny, pixelated optimism.
Soon after, he was touring non-stop internationally and was considered a leading producer of 'future bass', an electronica genre trading in nostalgia, 808s and twinkling, hyper-speed beats. He won praise from Skrillex, Porter Robinson, and Flume, remixing the latter as well as the likes of Foster The People and Tkay Maidza.
"I don't think I was ready for any of that," he says. "I'm normally very cautious with the decisions that I make... I thought I was managing the attention at the time but I wasn't coping very healthily. I was so worried about how people were going to perceive me if I made one wrong step. It was a recipe for anxiety."
In 2019, Wave Racer returned with 'AUTO', his first original release since 2015 EP Flash Drive -- and his first with new label Astral People Recordings, marking their first release. A glitchy, vocoder-infused meta-pop ballad, the song sees Purcell fight through the mechanical expectations to constantly release music and play the role of a party-starting DJ.
Soon after, he released collaborative tracks 'Summer Rain' with triple j favourite Kwame, 'This N That' with LunchMoney Lewis, and the sonic rush of 'Higher', co-produced by PC Music's Danny L Harle (Charli XCX, Rina Sawayama).
