It's in Our Mind

Portraits

Familiar

Turn on Your Lights

Portraits - Late Night

Through Air

Evil - Single

Turn on Your Lights - Single

Intro

Portraits - Single

"Clara Bell" is an immersive future-pop track written by Paper Pools, a Los Angeles based musician, and Anni Abigail, Massachusetts based audiowitch. Inspired by a conversation with Allen’s (Paper Pools) 100-year-old grandmother, the song tells the story of his grandmother's happiest time of her life, which was “dancing for the boys in the war”. The contrast immediately grabbed Allen. The implications of this were that this moment may have been the only time in her life that she felt truly free in her body. "You remember waving your arms around your body, like you’re going to die". 

After opening with a brief intro, "Clara Bell" launches into a hypnotic blend of a lo-fi guitar sample and mesmerizing beat. Think Brittany Howard meets Kanye. There's a real push and pull between the intensely energetic beat paired with the sweet softness of the Rhodes and intimate vocals sung by Anni and Allen. "Clara Bell" is a reminder of the liberating empowerment that can be found in expressions of pure joy.

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Clara Bell - Single

Familiar - Aviv (Springtime Atlantic Mix)

An immersive mix of swirling psychedelia, breezy indie rock, and sweet synth-pop, Paper Pools’ debut EP It’s in Our Mind is a visionary travelog charting the life of the project’s founder Allen Orr. From Paper Pools’ inception in 2019, Orr knew It’s in Our Mind needed to express the highs and lows of his journey. “A key theme is the contrast between light and dark,” he says. 

Because of the music’s intimacy, Orr handled nearly everything himself. Doubling as producer, he sang and played every note, riff, and synth part, save for a few backing vocals care of Kim Kelly (Amazombies, Mal de Mer) and the mesmerizing grooves. Those were handled by Adam Christgau, who has worked with the likes of Troye Sivan, Sia, and Miley Cyrus. 

It’s in Our Mind is—on top of everything else it expresses about Orr’s unique life—an indelibly L.A. record. It’s suffused with both the gleam of sunshine and the glitter of nighttime lights; it feels natural and free, yet also electric and otherworldly.

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