JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Jason Newsted’s 63rd birthday.
Throwback: Happy 82nd Birthday, Bobby Womack!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 82nd anniversary of the birth of Bobby Womack,
New Video: TOMORA Shares Euphoric “SOMEWHERE ELSE”
TOMORA is a new collaborative project featuring:
- The Chemical Brothers‘ Tom Rowlands: As one-half of The Chemical Brothers, Rowlands has produced and recorded six widely acclaimed UK #1 albums and won six Grammy Awards.
- Norwegian artist AURORA: AURORA has released four studio albums and has quickly become one of Norway’s most influential and globally recognized contemporary artists. Her single “Runaway” has amassed over one-billion Spotify streams to date.
TOMORA builds upon a creative relationship that can be traced to the recording sessions for The Chemical Brothers’ 2019 album No Geography. AURORA contributed vocals to three tracks, including “Eve of Destruction.” Rowlands then went on to contribute to AURORA’s 2024 effort, What Happened to the Heart?, which landed on the UK Top 10.
Initially, speculation was rife as to who — or what — the then-mysterious TOMORA was or could be, after the name appeared on Coachella’s 2026 Festival lineup post without any additional information last year. Last December, the duo released their debut single “Ring The Alarm,” which received praise from Spin, BrooklynVegan, Stereogum and DJ Mag. “Ring The Alarm” also received DJ support from Erol Alkan, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U and a long list of others.
The duo’s TOMORA debut single was then released on a very limited and collectible white label vinyl, alongside B-side “The Thing,” which showcase a glimpse of the tender and hauntingly beautiful downtempo tracks that will appear on the duo’s full-length debut, COME CLOSER.
Slated for an April 17, 2026 release through Capitol Records, COME CLOSER was written and produced jointly by Rowlands and AURORA. The 12-song album sees the duo pairing the Norwegian artist’s distinctive vocal with the acclaimed British producer’s unparalleled studio expertise. While the album sees the duo creating their own unique space, somewhere they can produce the kind of magic that comes from flicking through a perfect record collection, flowing from wigged-out 1960s psychedelia to the hyper-futurism of sounds imagined for the 2060s.
Ultimately though, the album is less about two separate and distinct artists finding a fertile middle ground and more the sound of two tenacious individuals connecting in the studio and hitting massive creative peaks together.
“This is our album COME CLOSER, it is everything we dreamt of. We made it without obligation or expectation, just a joy in creation,” the duo says. “It’s the sound where we meet, the landing zone of our musical escape pods. It is a special place to us. We hope you dig it as much as we do.”
Last month, I wrote about album the hauntingly mesmerizing album title track “COME CLOSER.” Building upon the attention and momentum of the album’s previously released singles, COME CLOSER‘s latest single begins with AURORA’s otherworldly and ethereal melody and pairs it with a blissed out, relentlessly driving, hyper-futuristic production. The result is a song that sounds as though it could have been beamed from a futuristic interplanetary civilization in the year 4239 while simultaneously intimate, yearning and rousingly anthemic.
“’SOMEWHERE ELSE’ is one of the first songs we ever wrote, as TOMORA. And it opened up a big door for us, into our world,” AURORA says. Tom Rowland adds, “Ever since AURORA sang that melody to me it’s been running around my head brightening my day. We played an early version of the song at Glastonbury Festival and it felt like magic. Now we get to share it, it’s a total joy.”
Continuing their ongoing collaboration with Adam Smith and S T A R T !, the accompanying video for “SOMEWHERE ELSE” begins with AURORA waking up under the pier of a beach, not quite sure how she got there with one shoe missing. The rest of the video we see the Norwegian artist on an afternoon at the amusement park, wandering through a town and other adventures, potentially tripping and/or appearing like a humanoid alien trying to figure out human life.
New Video: BRDN Shares Woozy and Brooding “Unparalleled”
German electronic outfit BRDN (pronounced as “burden”) has quickly established a sound that sees them pair powerful synth structures with smooth vocal sequences and driving rhythms. Their work takes listeners to the more brooding side of introspection with his work thematically touching upon self-doubt and the desperate search for purpose. The result is a fever dream, ripe for interpretation and analysis.
The German outfit’s sophomore EP Maybe in another life is slated for release in June. The EP’s first single, “Unparalleled” is an eerily minimalist tune, featuring glistening synths and skittering beats serving as an uneasy and brooding bed for BRDN’s yearning delivery. Sonically, recalling The Ways We Separate and Escapements-era Beacon, “Unparalleled,” conveys a woozy sense of regret-fueled self-doubt.
Shot at dusk and at night, the accompanying video follows two lonely souls, full of brooding self-doubt and regret.
Throwback: Happy 60th Birthday, Tone Lōc!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Tone Lōc’s 60th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 84th Birthday, Lou Reed!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 84th anniversary of Lou Reed’s birth.
Throwback: Happy 76th Birthday, Karen Carpenter!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 76th anniversary of the birth of Karen Carpenter.
New Video: Fantôme Paradis Shares CInematic “Ámes sœurs”
Fantôme Paradis is the synth wave/darkwave recording projecting of a mysterious and emerging French producer. The mysterious French producer’s latest single “Âmes sœurs” features glistening synth arpeggios, tweeter and woofer rattling thump as a lush bed for a yearning, female French vocal.
Sonically nodding at a synthesis of The Weeknd and John Carpenter soundtracks, “Âmes sœurs” according to the mysterious French producer explores a relationship in crisis, caught in an uneasy conflict between devotion and hatred.
Throwback: Happy 99th Birthday, Harry Belafonte!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 99th anniversary of the birth of Harry Belafonte.
Throwback: Happy 82nd Birthday, Roger Daltrey!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates The Who frontman Roger Daltrey’s 82nd birthday.
Announcements: Shoutouts to Patreon Patrons, Creatives Rebuild New York and Asian Arts Initiative
Last year, I announced that JOVM had to go on a forced, indefinite hiatus. But for a significant portion of the year, before the hiatus, I could barely financially manage to keep the site going. At one point, over a decade of music, arts and culture coverage were lost in the ether — for a little while.
So, as you can imagine, I had to figure out what I could do and what was next for JOVM. But thankfully, through some luck and the support of a friend, who will remain anonymous upon request, for their generosity and support, JOVM’s return would have been impossible. Thank you!
There are also a list of other folks that I must thank for their support.
The Patreon Patrons, who have supported me through over the course of the past few years:
Sash
Alice Northover
Bella Fox
Jenny MacRostie
Janene Otten
Also I have to thank the following for their donations:
Melanie Rodriguez
Kitty
I must thank my pal and colleague Adam Bernard for chatting with me about JOVM and the site’s hiatus. You can check out the interview, in which I talk about how important it is to support independent journalists here: https://adambernard.blogspot.com/2025/09/saving-one-mans-movement-convo-with.html
I have to thank the helpful, hardworking and dedicated folks at Creatives Rebuild New York. I’m proud, gratified and humbled to have been included in their 18-month Guaranteed Income for Artists program. Understandably, being included was also deeply vindicating. Someone out there thought my work — this very work! — was worth supporting financially. Obviously, the funds from it have managed to keep this labor of love going during one of the most uncertain periods in recent human history, while lessening some of the normal financial pressures of being an American artist, creator and journalist.
I also found out about Asian Arts Initiative’s Sound Type Workshop through Creatives Rebuild New York. So, I just can’t thank those folks enough. And I’ll forever be in their debt.
I must thank the folks at the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia for selecting me for the Sound Type Music Writer Workshop. Being a part of the inaugural cohort was an honor.
I also have to thank my man John Morrison, Philly’s preeminent music journalist for the support and encouragement.
Now, I must remind y’all, that The Joy of Violent Movement is a completely independent and completely D.I.Y. media outlet. Over the course of this site’s 15+ year history, I’ve used my fiercely independent stance to cover music with an eclectic and global perspective that a lot of other publications just don’t have — and will likely never have.
To that end, I could use your support to continue to keep bringing you my unique global perspective on music. There are a number of ways that you can support this work.
I’ve been told that some people would prefer to make a one-time donation because it’s easy and less of an obligation. So, if you’re able to make a one-time donation, there’s a donation box below.
Make a one-time donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateIf you’re willing and able to support more regularly, please feel free to check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement.
Anything you can give is very much appreciated. It can and does make a real difference, y’all.
I know that a lot of folks are struggling to make ends meet in an uncertain and tumultuous economic climate. So there are other, non-financial ways in which you can support this work.
You can follow me on the following social platforms:
X/Twitter: @yankee32879 and @joyofviolent
Instagram: @william_ruben_helms
Threads: @william_ruben_helms
Bluesky: @williamrubenhelms.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement
As always, if there are posts that you dig, share them with your friends. The more eyeballs on my work, the better.
Throwback: Black History Month: James Brown
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms’ annual posting of James Brown’s “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” in Zaire — for Black History Month.
Throwback: Happy 69th Birthday, Cindy Wilson!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates The B-52s co-founder Cindy Wilson’s 69th birthday.
