Audien + 3LAU ft. Victoria Zaro – Hot Water

Audien and 3LAU released their new collaboration ‘Hot Water‘, on Astralwerks, today ahead of their B2B performance at this year’s EDC in Las Vegas. Vocalist Victoria Zaro features on the bass-heavy track, her vocals lending it a smokier vibe. The new single begins as an electropop track with a slow beat and clashing synths, and builds to dark, distorted bass. The moody sound of the track matches the melancholia of the lyrics, with Zaro singing about her relationship mistakes landing herself in hot water. Written by songwriters who’ve worked with the Chainsmokers, Alessia Cara, and Shawn Mendes, the thematic similarities are apparent.

The darkness of the single represents a departure for both Audien and 3LAU, with the former known for his upbeat solidly-EDM tracks, and the latter producing glittering synthpop. Audien, real name Nate Rathburn, remarked it was their friendship that allowed them to push outside these usual sounds. 3LAU, born Justin Blau, spoke further about this change:

“Audien & I wanted to make a song that stayed true to our euphoric roots, but that explored a mixture of genres. We wanted to create something that people wouldn’t expect; the result was this dark cathartic landscape of sound.”

Taking cues from Avicii’s fusion of dance and country, Audien made a name for himself with his Lady Antebellum track ‘Something Better.’ Audien is currently on tour to capitalize on the success of these singles. 3LAU’s success includes his latest single ‘On My Mind‘ with a clever video featuring famous American NFL player Rob Gronkowski.

Listen to ‘Hot Water‘ below: