Last month, the entire contents of mannequin rap duo FEMM’s Instagram and YouTube accounts were deleted, replaced with only a video titled Goodbye to ........ Visiting FEMM’s
official website returned only a “404 Not Found” error, leading fans around the world to fear that the duo was no more.
However, a new teaser video was just revealed recently. The video shows imagery that will likely shock those familiar with their past works: the two mannequins moving as smoothly as real human beings. In fact, the seven periods
in the title Goodbye to ....... were a clue, standing for the seven-character code “FEMM1.0” – FEMM were saying goodbye to their first incarnation, and the pair’s new smooth movement is a result of a "firmware update" to version 2.0.
Further, it was announced that the music in the teaser video is an excerpt from Level Up feat. Duke of Harajuku, one of the tracks from a new double A-side single titled Level Up / Summer Dream that will be released on November 6th.
The single was created in collaboration with tokyovitamin, a Tokyo-based independent label that draws on the international backgrounds of its various members for a borderless approach, and which has long
fostered a close relationship with FEMM. Trap musician Duke of Harajuku features as part of the collaboration.
The single's other song, Summer Dream feat. FEMM (S+ Ver.), is an alternate version of a collaboration track called Summer Dream that was originally featured on Duke of Harajuku’s album RAZZLE DAZZLE, which was just released on September 9th. This
version is a new recording with an additional section.
The songs feature production by Star Boy and Radical Hardcore Clique, and they are said to conjure a futuristic image, while blending melancholic emotion and retro vibes with FEMM’s trademark smooth yet inorganic style and
mellow flow, creating a unique “city hip-hop” sound.
