Don’t Test The Unmaker’s Patience

Description

Tanukichan, the musical project of Oakland, California’s Hannah van Loon, has been a leading figure in modern shoegaze music since 2016, when she first collaborated with Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi. Together, they released an EP and two full-length albums under Bear'sCompany Records, the high point of which was GIZMO in 2023. With her new EP Circles, released on September 20, 2024 via Carpark Records, van Loon ventures into new territory by teaming up for the first time with a new producer - Franco Reid. The genesis of their partnership dates back to the GIZMO campaign, when Reid noticed that van Loon was wearing an Incubus T-shirt in a press photo on Instagram. Intrigued by whether van Loon was a real fan, he sent her a DM. Their shared musical interest sparked a dialogue that eventually led to the creation of the single “NPC” in 2023. The lead single “City Bus” offers a reflection on van Loon’s childhood bus rides in San Francisco, evoking the rhythm of commuters’ stops and starts through punchy drums and a heavy guitar feedback that comes in and out of the mix. Themes of self-reflection and societal belonging run through the track, echoing van Loon’s ongoing personal journey. While much of Circles looks inward at internal struggles, “It Gets Easier” takes on a more celebratory tone as van Loon realizes she has developed a heightened sense of maturity in the face of hardship. “It is easier to let go of situations or people that don’t serve me,” van Loon reflects, “Or if they can’t be avoided, at least I don’t have to dwell on the sadness or discomfort I feel when I let someone down.” Introduced by Reid, nu-gaze sensation Wisp contributes a verse in her similarly ethereal vocal style. There is a notable shift on Circles considering that Tanukichan’s first three releases were produced by a pioneer of the chillwave genre. With van Loon’s still-dreamy songwriting and Reid at the helm, Tanukichan enters new sonic territory that feels bigger, arena-ready, and closer to a high-speed nighttime drive than the hazy summer dream of its predecessors.