New Portals teams up with The Jepettos for "VCR & Chill"

Our favourite dreamy alt-pop duo New Portals has teamed up with alt-folk pop, The Jepettos for their amazing new EP “VCR & Chill”.

The record features four-tracks, two of which have been previously released as singles and were given the music video treatment. The tracks are: “Stay Here Tonight“, “Stereo“, “Inch“, and “Groove Boy“. All the songs are written by New Portals (Mike and Ruth Aicken) and the whole EP is produced by Matt Weir and Peter J McCauley.

We have previously featured “Stay Here Tonight” and “Groove Boy” along with their respective music videos. However, the collab between New Portals and The Jepettos totally gave these two tracks a whole new different feel.

Stay Here Tonight

While the original version of “Stay Here Tonight” is leaning more towards being “club music”, the VCR & Chill version of it is much more mellow and subdued, similar to the pair’s older style of music. With The Jepettos taking over the instruments, the track went from a song that will make you move and groove to the beat to a track that you would listen to during rainy days while remembering that boy who stole your heart during the previous summer.

(Below is the official music video of “Stay Here Tonight” and you can find the whole Soundcloud version of the EP at the bottom, in case you want to “compare and contrast”.)

Groove Boy

Similar to “Stay Here Tonight”, the original version of “Groove Boy” is very pop, club music-like and, in this track’s case, very electric. It has also been given the mellow treatment in VCR & Chill. With the added accordion sound in the EP version of the track, it went from electric to slightly country. It became more of a relaxing tune rather than a song that would make you want to get up on your feet and dance.

Just like with “Stay Here Tonight”, both versions are beautiful and amazing. Ruth’s signature smooth voice that gives it the sensual vibe is still very evident. It just adds to the aesthetic of the whole EP.

Stereo

“Stereo” is one of the two new tracks on the EP. It features Tabitha Agnew (Cup O’Joe) on the lead vocals. This track is really different from what you would expect from New Portals alone. However, this is to be expected due to their collab partners. It’s very country, like a song that you would play on your acoustic guitar while looking over your vast farm in the countryside. It’s relaxing and refreshing but it lacks the smooth and sensual voices of Mike and Ruth Aicken. This is not a bad thing, though. It gives great variation to the record despite being a four-track EP.

Inch

“Inch” is the last new track on VCR & Chill. This one features Ruth on the vocals, but rather than giving sensuality, her voice just gives out that melancholic vibe. The background music just increases the melancholic vibe. “Inch” fits into the whole feel that the EP is giving, which is sadness and nostalgia. It will definitely bring back memories, both good and bad.

Mike & Ruth Aicken enjoyed great success with The Jepettos, clocking up over 11 MILLION streams on Spotify and playing in support of the Foo Fighters, The Black Keys and Tinie Tempah.

Now with New Portals, the Aicken’s are once again proving themselves as one of the hottest-tipped new breakout Irish artists. They’ve achieved support from Phil Taggart and Huw Stephens with ‘Stay Here Tonight’ alongside their other singles at Radio 1. New Portals have also been touted as The Guardian’s New Band Of The Week among a wealth of further praise for the duo.

All in all, “VCR & Chill” is definitely one nostalgic record, from the title down to the very last track. Not only does it go back to New Portal’s initial music genre but everything about each song will just bring back those memorable days of your past: the heartbreaks and the days full of love.

Everything about this EP is beautiful. It may only contain four tracks but the quality of those tracks and the way they will make you feel definitely makes up for the lack of songs. The collaboration between the two groups is just so amazing that we couldn’t wait for more!

What do you think of the collab between New Portals and The Jepettos? Do you love it as much as we do? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @CelebMix!