Hong Kong-born artist Clinton N released the ambient electronic-dream pop single “circles” from Dublin, Ireland on the 26th of November.
The song “circles” revolves around the idea of being stuck in routines that lead to nowhere, and if that’s not a universal feeling that we all felt at one point or another, I don’t know what is!
In “circles”, there’s no point in an endless pursuit when we end up exactly where we started, and “hoping for some kind of miracle,” as Clinton N sings, but we don’t need to wait for a miracle to break the cycle.
Clinton N himself has traveled around the globe, being born in Hong Kong, growing up in San Francisco, and recently moving to Dublin Ireland. I suppose that moving from one end of the world to another, Clinton N found himself repeating some similar patterns, and perhaps that’s what inspired “circles”.
The production on this track is extremely refined, from smooth and immersive sound design, creative melodic sampling, and massive bass and lead synths. The final mix sounds great, and Clinton N’s singing on this record is heartfelt.
The sampled vocal chops are my favorite element of the song, and they had me playing “circles” on repeat, which I can only say is ironically appropriate.