Paolo Ruiu was raised in the suburbs of South London, in the same city he resides in today. Formerly on half of the duo Young Romance, Paolo’s solo journey has become captivating for tastemakers, his initial singles catching attention online. These first glimpses became the foundation for ‘Low’ his debut EP, recorded in Paolo’s home studio on a mixing desk used by Pink Floyd and a Tascam 424 cassette recorder.
Similarly, crafted in a former Victorian sweet factory on London’s Cable Street, Paolo’s new EP ‘Last Out’ celebrates analogue psychedelia. The project opens with ‘Talk Alone’, a single originally released back in 2022, but re-emerges two years later as an energising spark, filled with punk-tinged guitar arrangements and subtle, dreamy synths.
‘Wait Below’ is next up, leaning heavier on the hazy synth soundscape, the shimmering melody lying on a bed of distant, dazed vocals and pounding drums. ‘Let’s Not Forget About Here’ continues this trend, though adds a more infectious, anthemic vibe to the music, the brighter sounds lending themselves to a rising optimism before ‘Pale Ocean’ dives back into the melancholy, the shadowy clouds returning. The turning point of contentment is still present from the halfway point onwards, the subtle joy hiding beneath the surface.
The final and title track ‘Last Out’, opens with our first acoustic-driven moment, though its eerie production and the troubled vocals make its hope more unsettling. The EP ends with a sense of softness and acceptance, the uncertainty of victory over sadness a poignant and rare feeling. Put simply, although Paolo Ruiu’s writing often hinges on a love of vintage nostalgia, his emotional portrayal is not something seen before.
Sharing his thoughts on the release, Paolo adds, ”The EP reflects a variety of themes, for which I wanted to explore the darker edges, using heavy saturation, multiple distortions and echoes, and pushing further than previously with the detuning of synths and guitars”