With Instead of Making Love (Say Hello), Naples-born artist LESS delivers a striking and mature statement that confirms her unique position within the electronic, alternative pop, and indie pop landscape. The track, recorded entirely through analog machines at Kapow Vintage Studio in Florence, is not only a sonic experience but also a reflection of her personal evolution. At just 22, LESS presents a voice and vision that transcend borders, deserving a global audience for the honesty and depth embedded in her music.
The rhythmic foundation of Instead of Making Love (Say Hello) is deceptively simple at first listen, yet it unfolds with carefully layered textures that keep the listener engaged. The beats pulse with a subtle organic warmth that analog production can uniquely achieve. Rather than overwhelming the song with heavy percussive elements, the rhythm provides an understated but insistent heartbeat, allowing the vocal performance to carry the emotional core. This rhythmic restraint creates an atmosphere of intimacy, evoking the feeling of a late-night confessional whispered over a steady pulse.
Synths take a central role in defining the atmosphere of the track. Rich analog tones weave through the arrangement, oscillating between shimmering brightness and darker, more introspective layers. The production highlights LESS’s capacity to merge vintage warmth with a modern sensibility, offering soundscapes that are at once nostalgic and forward-thinking. The synth melodies expand and contract like waves, at times surrounding the vocal in a delicate halo, at others pushing forward with a sense of urgency. It is this dynamic interplay between electronic elements and human voice that gives the release its distinctive emotional power.
LESS’s voice itself is the guiding force throughout the track. It carries a rare quality of fragility combined with strength, evoking vulnerability while asserting presence. Her vocal delivery does not hide behind effects or layers; instead, it embraces imperfections as part of the authenticity of her message. The lyrics, suggestive and intimate, explore themes of connection, longing, and the complexity of emotional encounters. By choosing the symbolic gesture of “saying hello” in place of “making love,” the song reflects the nuanced thresholds between intimacy and distance, desire and restraint, physicality and emotional resonance.
The atmosphere overall is both immersive and cinematic. The analog production adds a tactile dimension that enhances the storytelling: each note feels alive, textured, and breathing. There is a palpable sense of space, as though the listener is drawn into the studio itself, standing in the room where emotions are distilled into sound. The balance between minimalism and expansiveness is key—moments of quiet introspection bloom into sweeping passages, only to return again to intimate focus.
LESS’s background—shaped by a nomadic childhood, early confrontation with personal identity, and the resilience inherited from her family of leather workers—permeates the track. Her journey from playful songwriting at twelve to profound self-expression in her twenties resonates in every line. With the support of producers Lorenzo Santi and Federico Maremmi, alongside Marco Lega, she has found collaborators who amplify her artistic vision while leaving her essence intact.
Instead of Making Love (Say Hello) exemplifies the high quality and emotional depth we are proud to highlight on our webzine. It marks a crucial step for an artist who is not only refining her craft but also boldly asserting her place in contemporary music. With a voice ready to cross borders and a sound rich in authenticity, LESS has created a release that speaks both to her personal story and to universal human emotions.