Vehlinggo is very proud to premiere “Love Peas,” the first single off College’s forthcoming album, Shanghai. The cut is gorgeous — an intimate and magical way to introduce a new sound for the Nantes, France-based electronic artist known for his involvement with Drive, and synthy placements in ads, TV shows, and other films.

Hama — a vocalist based in the Chinese city that shares its name with College’s album — sings contemplatively in her native tongue over an emotive, organic-sounding arrangement.

“This record is a mysterious ballad in the heart of 1920s Shanghai,” College (AKA David Grellier) said in a statement. “[It’s] an invitation to travel, a tribute to the refinement and… delicacy of a fantasized and blurry period of time, which fed the imagination of the musicians, the artists, and the architects of this mythical city.”

“The keys of this new adventure are in your hands,” he says.

Love-Peas-Feature-Photo — Cover art for ‘Love Peas (Feat. Hama)’ by Alexander Burkart.

Overall, it’s a departure from the disco-driven and synth-pop colors of his earlier work, such as “A Real Hero,” his Drive collaboration with Electric Youth; his popular EP Teenage Color; albums Heritage, Northern Council, and Secret Diary; and compilation Old Tapes. People should welcome this, because it’s a revelatory and rewarding song. I can’t wait for Shanghai’s April 28 release via Lakeshore Records and Invada. (Come back here soon for purchase links.)

(Artwork for Shanghai is by Alexander Burkart, who also created the Vehlinggo logo.)

The Interviews

COLLEGE 1 PIC By JEROME BLIN — David “College” Grellier. Photo by Jerome Blin.

Interested in learning more about College? Check out the interviews:

Grellier discusses the fifth anniversary of Drive (joined by Electric Youth, Johnny Jewel, Cliff Martinez, and others);
Part 1 and Part 2 of a 2015 interview in which Grellier discussed his single “Save The Day,” touring, and his Valerie Collective of synthesizer-centric artists.