Black Summer Double Edge

Electronic music wunderkind Black Summer has today announced his new, heartwrenching single Double Edge, featuring Australian vocalist Aston, out today. The young artist, otherwise known as Rhys Toms, has also dropped a breathtaking video clip to accompany Double Edge, directed by Tim Maxx, and starring Aston herself alongside actor David John Craig.

It's been a wild ride for Rhys, since he was Unearthed by triple j at the age of 11 as one of the country's most exciting young producers and Double Edge is yet another example of Black Summer's prowess as a producer, and leaves the listener wondering if this is what he's capable of at just 16 years old, there's no telling what will come next.

Double Edge is affecting, melancholy; the kind of song listeners will put on for comfort in the midst of a breakup or breakdown. Gentle piano plays calmly throughout the swooping, sparkling dance of synthesisers and percussion. Aston's heavenly vocal guides the listener as the song reaches its peak, resulting in a deeply poignant journey from start to end. Written alongside Aston and songwriter Starley, Rhys explains how the collaboration came about, "When I was in LA, I was lucky enough to have a writing session with Starley and Aston. Double Edge came from a session where myself and Starley really connected. We had so much fun, I've been a fan of hers ever since I heard Call On Me - it was a huge international hit with over a billion streams, so I was just fortunate to write with her." Double Edge is a deep, introspective track, Rhys enlightens, "The song itself is quite personal, but I feel like we've all been there – a situation where we may have been attracted to the wrong person or someone who wasn't good for us. From my interpretation, it's a song about a toxic relationship and how it can be damaging but you keep getting drawn in at the same time. Creatively, this song was so much fun to work on. Starley is an incredible writer, and Aston is an amazing vocalist and songwriter. I was lucky enough to be able to really enjoy the process."

The clip for Double Edge is epic, sharp and moving, as Aston sings to her wounded partner, a crow glides through the sky, a white wolf gallops through a forest, and the grey, snowy landscape threatens to overwhelm everything in its wake. The colour palette of deep, thunderous grey, white and deep blue reflects the mood of the song perfectly, and awe-inspiring drone shots of the snowy mountain landscape are sure to impress. Speaking on the meaning behind the clip, Rhys says, "I feel like the clip is quite symbolic, and can be taken a few different ways. I see it as being about a toxic relationship that has hurt the people in it. The crow and the wolf, to me, symbolise the struggle of chasing someone who is only going to damage you and make everything worse. Tim Maxx, who has been the creative brain behind my past video clips as well as this one, has done an amazing job communicating a message through this video that can be interpreted in many ways, which was exactly what I wanted this project to feel like."

Double Edge is just the first taste of the new Black Summer tunes that are yet to come, as Rhys spends all his spare time – between the pesky teenage commitment of school – writing and producing, both from his hometown in Canberra and Los Angeles.