Bjerk, Gunnar / Back Then

DFA

Gunnar Bjerk wears his heart on his sleeve. It's displayed prominently in his straightforward electronic pop songs, which are romantic in every way: musically, sonically, lyrically. Bjerk, who arrived in New York City via Arizona a few years ago with hopes of becoming a studio engineer, ultimately landed at DFA, where he studied under the tutelage of label co-founder and LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy. As house engineer, he worked on a slew of DFA recordings for artists including LCD, The Crystal Ark and Shit Robot; when he wasn't in the studio, he began writing and crafting his own music. "Write what you know" is the old adage that nearly every up-and-coming writer learns, and Bjerk has adhered to that tried-and-true formula. His recordings document the wistfulness, longing and sadness he felt about the long distance between he and his girlfriend, who was still back home in Arizona while he made records in New York City.  The good news is twofold: Bjerk's girlfriend finally made it to NYC, and what came out of those sessions are pop songs of boundless emotion. "Back Then," a soft, slow track that could play at an '80s school dance just after Spandau Ballet, is short on excess and long on earnestness. Bjerk pairs simple synths and basslines with his own layered vocals, including catchy, repeated "Oooohs." The second single, "Stay," is flashier than its flipside, with house and glimmering bits of disco at its foundation, all headed toward the song's soaring chorus.

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