Premiere: Adelaide's PNK FME explores hip-hop's outer edges with new single, Forsaken

Header image by Zara Mutti.

Adelaide's PNK FME has come a long way over the last few years. Initially introduced as a South Australian newcomer in 2018, the musician has gone and above and beyond to deepen his sound and explore his versatility in production and songwriting, getting to the point where everything he releases - stand-alone singles, remixes, collaboration, whatever - feels like him experimenting and toying with an extension of his sound, all while keeping the distinct touches that make PNK FME's work so recognisable.

After years of growth, last year saw the release of PNK FME's debut EP I've Never Been Me, a collection of five songs that seemed to properly introduce PNK FME and his forward-thinking craft in a succinct package, showcasing the experimentalism he seemingly thrives upon, as well as the detailed and upfront songwriting becoming more prevalent in his most recent work. Songs like Hypomania, for example, detailed his diagnosis with ADHD and the actualities of living with the disorder, while production-wise, the EP's creative intensity made it near-incomparable to anyone else, yet didn't stop people from placing him alongside musicians like Flume and Baauer.

Now, we're stoked to be premiering the first release from PNK FME following his debut EP, with Forsaken premiering on Pilerats today ahead of its official release tomorrow, June 30th. Yet again, it's a single that leaps forward with its left-field craft, welcoming more textures into the PNK FME musical universe while continuing to highlight a more personal, songwriting-led process of musicianship; one that really began to shine on his debut EP and now, is taking the centre stage of his work yet again.

Musically, Forsaken is this adventurous blend of hip-hop and electronica that takes the wooziness of alt-rap and fuses it together with a production a little more polished and left-of-centre that you'd usually expect from that kind-of hazy rap sound. It's slick, yet kind-of rough and jagged in the best of ways; in a way that emphasises the rawness of PNK FME's songwriting, as well as the themes and reflection that builds into it.

"Forsaken ushers in a new era for my project," he says on the single, which arrives alongside a live video by Rory Pippan and Jake Lutz. "PNK FME has always been an outlet for me to explore my inner emotions and reflect on life. That being said, the records I've released were processed through a slight filter to invite people in and not completely scare them off with my chaotic energy. That part of my life has been fulfilled and with Forsaken, it's a new era. A phase of unapologetic expression, where I am at my most vulnerable and raw.

"Buckle up for one hundred per cent PNK FME and all the lovable anarchy that I imbue into my music and life."

Loveable anarchy sums it up brilliantly. See what we mean when you take a dive into Forsaken and its live video below, as it premieres on Pilerats now:

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