MP3: "Closer" via Brooklyn Vegan
MP3: "Mirror" (Take's No Reflection remix) via XLR8R
Video: "Mirror" via Stereogum

Kordan's melancholy yet uptempo shoegaze pop is set to make an impression with the release of their debut album, The Longing. They just released their latest track, the dreamy "Closer", via Brooklyn Vegan.

Recently, Stereogum premiered their video for their single "Mirror", which the site calls "eerily fatalistic". Also, LA beatsmith TAKE (Alpha Pup Records) did a great remix of the single which XLR8R calls "an equally heavenly production, albeit one driven by the soul of dark synth-funk and Southern California's ever-changing beatscape."

"It's difficult to deny the appeal of "Mirror"'s percolating rhythms, washes of guitar and paranoid vocals. If the single is indicative of the the rest of The Longing, Kordan should be a no brainer for fans of 120 Minutes regulars like Luna, Lush and Ride, or even bands with multisyllabic handles like Swervedriver." My Old Kentucky Blog

"Brooklyn-by-way-of-Puerto-Rico dreampoppers Kordan ride in on the prettiest post-punk swell. It's all so gloriously cinematic-the breathy vocals, the long-form riffs, the muted keys, and wind-swept melody."RCRD LBL

More on Kordan and the concept behind The Longing after the jump...

Kordan's new album, The Longing, sports some eye-catching packaging with a contribution from NYC fashion designer Christian Joy, whose work is most recognizable through her costume designs for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O. The album's packaging and design were done by Mindy Ryu. With a diverse background of environmental, publishing, fashion, packaging, and commercial work, Ryu had her start in music, designing album packages for Atlantic Records. She is also the co-founder of The Bear Cave, a design studio based in New York with clients like Nike and Warby Parker eyewear.

Sifting through traces of quantum universes, Kordan find the lush textures, pulsating beats, and somber melodies that they use to project dreams of bleak, dismal cities in a holographic future. But just below this mournful atmosphere there is also a flicker of energy, like one of those cities is slowly flickering back on after a blackout. Luminescent synths build on scratchy guitars, and the electricity of the city finally rushes back on.

Arthur (vocals/guitar), Liz (vocals/synth), and Gabo (bass) emerged from the vibrant rave and indie rock scenes in Puerto Rico during the early 2000s. After different stints found them in different parts of the US, the trio converged in Brooklyn. Together again, they began to fuse an electro glint and a shoegaze murk, and thus forged Kordan.

In the fall of 2008, Cut Copy heard the band's songs and chose Kordan as an opening act on their North American tour, taking them through Minneapolis, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, and back to New York City. In the summer of 2009 Kordan released their demo recordings as the Fantasy Nation EP, garnering critical acclaim from Filter, Jezebel, and Oh My Rockness, among others. The debut release heralded Kordan's aural world, tinged by futuristic visions and Japanese street culture. The following autumn months saw Kordan playing a CMJ showcase and shows in New York City, including opening for The Drums and The Mary Onettes. They have also brought their sonic influences to other bands, having done remixes for ZAZA and The Delta Mirror.

The Longing, their first full-length album, expands the dystopian city they built on Fantasy Nation, making way for a full-fledged love story in a hazy metropolis circa the year 2036. Somewhere in a bleak, run-down Tokyo neighborhood, someone drifts through the crowds, holograms, and faded neon to reunite with a loved one he hasn't seen in years. In this vast metropolis of millions, loneliness has become his prison. The longing he has felt for her and the memories of what could have become have become his only reality.

Out now on Last Bummer Records