Chromatics Light as a Feather (2019)
In August 2021, US synth-pop outfit Chromatics announced their disbandment, much to their fans’ puzzlement. The statement came from Ruth Radelet, Adam Miller and Nat Walker, noticeably omitting longtime producer Johnny Jewel, whose Italians Do It Better label had long been the band’s creative home. His absence deepened the sense of mystery surrounding the group’s final chapter, fitting for a band long steeped in enigma and ambiguity.
Formed in 2001 as Adam Miller’s punk-leaning project, Chromatics evolved dramatically over the course of the 2000s. With Radelet’s icy, intimate vocals, Walker’s sleek rhythms and Jewel’s widescreen production, the band shifted toward moody synth-pop, weaving together elements of disco, noir and minimal wave. Their music often felt suspended between worlds—romantic yet detached, warm yet ghostly—earning them a reputation as masters of atmosphere.
In the 2010s, the band pulled off a coup with Dear Tommy, an “album” straddling the boundary between reality and myth. Never officially released, the LP stands as one of modern music’s most enigmatic and elusive projects. First announced in 2014 as the follow-up to their 2012 album Kill for Love, it was initially scheduled for an early 2015 release. However, it was repeatedly delayed, and in 2017 the narrative took a dramatic turn when Johnny Jewel revealed that he had destroyed all existing copies following a near-death experience. Yet questions about the album’s existence persisted. Reports suggest that physical copies may never have been manufactured at all, casting doubt on whether Dear Tommy ever truly existed. But this uncertainty only heightened the album’s mythic status, leaving fans to wonder if the project was more of a conceptual art piece than an actual record.
With Dear Tommy never seeing the light of day—and the 2017 LP Cherry being essentially a deluxe version of the previously released EP of the same name—2019’s Closer to Grey became the band’s first full-length in seven years. And it remains their final original album, as 2020’s Faded Now largely consists of alternate versions of the songs on Closer to Grey.
Released with almost no warning, their opus ultimum showcased both the group’s unpredictability and their enduring mastery of mood. Among Closer to Grey‘s highlights, “Light as a Feather” stands out: a hypnotic track driven by Radelet’s spectral vocals and a pulse that is at once haunting and seductive. It captures the essence of what made Chromatics so singular: music that whispers from a liminal space, as if heard through the static of a dream.
Dig Deeper
Also shrouded in enigma is the British band The KLF—and there’s plenty to say about this notorious duo. For one thing, the band was remarkably uncompromising when it came to realizing their wild ideas. For another, The KLF was among the most successful acts of its time, becoming the world’s highest-selling singles act in 1991…
In the equally entertaining and thought-provoking book The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band Who Burned a Million Pounds, John Higgs recounts a wealth of stories about the band while skillfully connecting them to a larger cultural and philosophical context. Best of all, you don’t have to be a fan of The KLF to enjoy the book.
“Utterly irresistible and totally brilliant” – The Quietus
“The best non-fiction book I've ever read. It's magical. Stunning” – Dan Schreiber, No Such Thing As a Fish
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