Popeska ends three-year hiatus with 'I'll Be Here,' announces new album to follow

“I’ll Be Here” isn’t just the title of Popeska‘s latest single. It’s the artist’s declaration that he’s once more re-entered the release ring, where–in the titular fashion of the new track–he’ll remain for the foreseeable future. “I’ll Be Here” catapults Popeska back into sonic centrality as it simultaneously concludes the producer’s three-year hiatus.

“For awhile now I’ve found a lot of peace and joy in privacy,” Popeska said in a Facebook statement published on August 13. “I still make [music] every day, only to be heard by myself and people close to me…[but] maybe it’s selfish keeping [it] to myself. So, I’ve decided to put out a ton of music this year!” he added.

I have an album made of an assortment of songs I’ve made since Spirit Animals. It’s called Ramblings. Whereas lots of albums are like books, telling a story with intention and some theme in mind, this one is like a diary; just snippets of life in audio format. Popeska as a project never had any central theme or musical brand; it’s just me

-P

Thus, “I’ll Be Here.” The first of many successive singles to hail from Popeska’s studio, “I’ll Be Here” offers listeners a sample of the sound that Popeska will expand on his forthcoming album, Ramblings.

Taken with and transfixed by recordings of traditional Japanese and African choirs, Popeska samples these clips on “I’ll Be Here.” He modifies the choral elements to mesh with the cut’s overall construction and chords, striving to recreate “the same longing feeling” that he says the voices give him–just in his own artistic manner.

There’s indeed a sense of yearning inherent in “I’ll Be Here.” The cut is rich in its layers: unimposing piano chords provide a subtle foundation upon which crisp synth work unfolds. The ambient, emotive vocals verbalize the song’s looping lyric, “I’ll be here waiting.” As listeners will attest, the payoff of Popeska’s creative effort is evident on “I’ll Be Here.”