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Photo by Cheyenne Harper

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KING IV
announces debut album
PSYCHOPOMP
out Oct 31

+ Shares intoxicating new single
‘MOTION’

STREAM ‘MOTION’

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Photo by Cheyenne Harper

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“Get Freaky with Naarm/Melbourne club royalty King IV… perfect pre-gaming material” – Dave Woodhouse, triple j

“[A] Late night dark clubby pop number with a sticky beat” – Jade Zoe, triple j

“A heavy breathing storm of sounds that’s hard to resist” – Dave Ruby Howe, triple j Unearthed

““Freaky”, King IV´s new song, brings a dense electronic sound… Delivering well crafted-textures, the song flows from a pop softness towards an EDM intensity, [working] in a contrasting tandem.” – Visual Atelier 8

“The future of Australian music is in the capable hands of artists like King IV.”  – NLV Records

“without a doubt one of the best musicians in Australia” – Futuremag Music

“brimming [with] attitude and commanding charisma” – Purple Sneakers

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Naarm/Melbourne-based artist King IV today invites the world at large to awaken to the hedonistic, oddball universe of her forthcoming debut album Psychopomp, out October 31 2023, and shares new single ‘Motion’. Drawing from elements of techno, house and post-punk in a heaving, sticky club setting, Psychopomp is a high-concept, 9-track descent into wanton indulgence, and a celebration of the ever-flowing cycles of life – all tied together with a restless spirit of unrelenting, unapologetic strangeness. ‘Motion’ will appear on the album along with previous singles ‘Freaky’ and ‘See You Later’ and is out now, listen HERE.

‘Motion’ takes King IV’s mysterious dance-floor maximalist tendencies to a brighter, bouncier peak, in an intoxicating invitation to give in to our innermost natures that sees her smoky vocals soar to new, euphoric heights, with King IV saying of the track: “Offering an irresistible invitation to dance, “Motion” dispels the shackles of structure and obligation. It implores the listener to abandon all preconceived notions, to forgo the constraints of planning, and to surrender to the rhythmic pulse of existence. Here, the act of dancing becomes a liberation of the spirit, an unbridled expression of the universal yearning for freedom and uninhibited self-expression.”

With the genesis of this new project came King IV’s desire to align with the lunar cycle to reconnect with her own full potential. She explains: “By releasing this music with the cycles of the moon, I am tapping into this ancient wisdom and allowing our listeners to connect with it on a deeper level, inviting them to join me on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.”

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Photo by Cheyenne Harper

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The Psychopomp concept arrived during a period of deep personal reflection for King IV, who stumbled across the word as she explored various spiritual & philosophical ideas ranging from Carl Jung to Charles Bukowski as well as striking, thought-provoking artists like Heironymous Bosch, Femke Hiemstra, and Robert Fludd and felt inspired to channel the essences of what she discovered into visceral, multi-sensory club music. Where Greek mythology describes a “psychopomp” as a creature/spirit that acts as a guide for deceased souls, King IV’s own take reimagines the Psychopomp as a transmuter who exists in a liminal space between realities, ferrying earthly beings toward their full potential. Not unlike a guardian angel, albeit a secular, slightly twisted one sent from the underground, King IV’s reframed Psychopomp operates with the goal of leading, shaping, coaxing and training the living to reach their ultimate aims. It’s a narrative that echoes elements of King IV’s own artistic and personal journey, as well as her desire to reclaim language leveraged at those who, like herself, have been pigeonholed as strange or odd, and gather all those this applies to in a free-flowing community mindset that celebrates all life has to offer. From the Dies Irae-esque opener ‘Follow, Psycho’, a fervent plea to be led a to enter the underground world of Psychopomp, the album traces the struggle between surrender and selection on the glitchy, bass-heavy ‘Night & Day’, where ‘Shades of Hell’ offers an orchestral-electronic exploration of twisted, toxic affection; elsewhere R&B-influenced cut ‘Wicked’ encourages a confrontation of how pain and pleasure intertwine, until the irresistably angular, anthemic title track and album closer is an ode to listeners fully embracing their own wild imaginings and awakening their inner psychopomps.

Of the album, which was recorded entirely in her home studio with textured, distorted production via Thomas Danigo in the French village of Ploërmel, King IV says: “Like a Psychopomp, I often feel like I exist between worlds, never quite fitting into any one box or category. But I also see this as a source of power and freedom, because it allows me to create and explore without feeling constrained by external expectations or limitations. The community I’m building around Psychopomp is a way for me to share this journey with others and create a space where people can connect and explore these themes together. By reclaiming the word “Psychopomp” and using it as a symbol of courage, I hope to empower myself and others to embrace their own uniqueness.”

Winning over legions of fans and industry admirers alike with her coolly enigmatic nature and bombastic sound, with passionate support for singles like ‘We Can Get It’ (2017), ‘Basic’ (2018) and Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition finalist ‘Bump’ (2017) via Red Bull Music, acid stag, Stoney Roads, AAA Backstage, Cool Accidents, The Interns, Mystic Sons, Eat This Music, Diamond Deposits and more, King IV has also found many a home with editorial streaming playlists, climbing into Spotify’s Australian Viral 50 more than once. Her global appeal has also secured vast airplay, from BBC Radio 1 and FM stations in the UK, US and beyond to Australian community radio like FBi Radio, Triple R, JOY, 2SER, 4ZZZ and more; also earning her the title of Artist to Watch via two more national online tastemakers, Purple Sneakers and Pilerats. Seamlessly finding and carving out her own niche, King IV has thrilled crowds at thrilled crowds at Listen Out, Beyond The Valley, Secret Garden, Melbourne Music Week, The Mountain Goat Valley Crawl, and worked with and alongside artists like The Kite String Tangle, Kira Puru, LUCIANBLOMKAMP and Moonbase to name just a few. Having broke a three year silent period of development and discovery towards the end of 2022 with previous single ‘See You Later‘ (which was selected as a finalist in the Electronic Music category of the International Songwriting Competition out of 15 000 submissions, of which Mariah Carey was a judge) followed by ‘Freaky‘ (2023) and theirrevamps collectively attracted support from triple j, WPRB Princeton (US),triple j Unearthed, Visual Atelier 8, Pilerats, Music Feeds, The Music, Tone Deaf, Check Check/Junkee, AMNplify, auspOp, Global Money World, R+, Aus Music Scene, PBSFM, SYN, Edge Radio, 4ZZZ, EnergyGroove Radio and more, King IV continues to lead us deep into her most spectacular era yet.

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King IV
Psychopomp

Out Oct 31, 2023

1. Follow, Psycho
2. The Underground
3. Freaky
4. See You Later
5. Night & Day
6. Motion
7. Shades of Hell
8. Wicked
9. Psychopomp

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Follow KING IV
Facebook – Instagram – Tik Tok – Spotify

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Photo by Cheyenne Harper

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AMNPLIFY – DB