- Words Miriam Balanescu
Dark pop artist ECHLO unveils her murky new single “Puppeteer”.
The moniker of orchestral soul singer Chloe Charles, her reincarnation, ECHLO, harks back to her grandiose former sound – but with a dark-pop twist.
Charles’ new musical direction has been going down a storm: the Canadian has played 1,000 shows across 12 countries and whipped up press acclaim. Under her new name, ECHLO made her debut with the EP ‘Echolocation’ in 2019 – a collection of singles that were far from feeling their way in the dark.
Next up is ECHLO’s ‘I was I’ first full album – and a written memoir. Before they’re ready for release, the artist has shared her fresh new single “Puppeteer”, a blustering track that will sweep you off your feet. With dashes of trip-hop and electronica, Charles may have outcompeted herself with this modern new sound.
On her new path, Charles explains: “ECHLO is my artistic reinvention. ECHLO evolved from Chloe. I’m not disassociating from what I’ve done in the past; I’m proud of that work and it’s a part of me. Besides being an anagram of my name, ECHLO makes music in a different genre, is further reaching, allows me to be more outspoken, less reserved and unapologetic about concepts and feelings.”
Speaking on the track, she adds: “Sometimes we find ourselves in a position of power over someone else, the master in a love affair. Sometimes we take advantage of this and sometimes we wake up and cut the strings. We have all been masters and puppets in some form or another. At some point, we have to cut our strings and break free.”