Sitting down one afternoon to catch up on Glastonbury highlights way back in 2016, Tom Rowlands, one-half of bona fide electronic legends, the Chemical Brothers, caught a set that stopped him dead. Hijacking the screen was diminutive Norwegian singer Aurora, who delivered a masterclass in otherworldly art-pop.
After leaving such a profound impression, Rowlands asked her to contribute vocals on the Chemical Brothers’ 2019 No Geography. Returning the favour with additional production on her latest solo album, 2024’s What Happened to the Heart?, the seeds were sown for further collaboration. With both feeling a little jaded from the demands of their respective day jobs, the winter of 2024 offered a chance to break the routine and challenge themselves artistically.
The result is Tomora’s Come Closer, a perfect collision of styles that seems to have liberated both parties. Rowlands sounds genuinely invigorated, freed to craft soundscapes with palpable joy. Musically, the album blends techno, trip-hop, and euphoric house doused in psychedelia, all serving as the perfect backdrop for Aurora to explore her voice as its own, mesmerising instrument.
“Come Closer” opens with a sigh as Aurora’s unmistakable vocals gently come into focus over a steady beat and bubbling electronics. She chooses to sit back, coiled like a spring, before encouraging her voice to ascend to a soaring peak. It serves as a reminder of the sheer power and majesty of her gift, a siren call that cuts through the night.
“A Boy Like You” highlights why the pairing works so well. Aurora dials it back, letting her sultry, breathy vocals be carried by the thick synth bass and shuffling beats. It’s a slow-burning exercise in dynamics with Rowlands holding on tightly before flooding the song with psychedelic effects. Any tension is soon shattered with the arrival of the album’s first bona fide banger.
“Ring the Alarm” is a vibrant slice of intense psychedelic house with both of them pushing to hit harder and reach further. Both sound energised, with Rowlands showing exactly how to tightly construct a ‘big’ tune while Aurora shows off her entire box of vocal tricks. This song is reason enough for the record to exist and illustrates how Rowlands’ production seems to have freed her from her more Scandipop comfort zone.
“My Baby” expertly manoeuvres from darkness to light, evoking the atmospheric trip hop of Portishead before swerving into a state of restless euphoria. “Have You Seen Me Dance” adds tabla percussion on an electro-waltz. The distinctly modern-sounding dance tune, “Somewhere Else”, samples and loops Aurora’s voice to create a mesmerising hook over squelchy synths. Pounding with club energy, it’s the kind of tune that wouldn’t sound out of place in Ibiza at 4:00 am. “I Drink the Light” captures the playful spirit of Nellee Hooper-era Björk with the sweeping electronics revolving around a memorable pop hook.
The adrenaline dissipates on the gently intoxicating “Wavelengths”, which sees Aurora’s slightly distorted vocals framed by gently droning electronics. It’s a slowly building, epic number that shows a much more intimate window into their collaboration than the bigger, dancier numbers as they trade beats for emotional intensity. “Side by Side” continues in a similar vein as Aurora articulates her commitment to standing by someone even in the most trying times (“Even if I cry / I’ll be by your side”) over breezy electronics. “The Thing” rides textured beats that evoke the best of the Bristol trip-hop scene.
“In a Minute” finishes the album in euphoric style. Wordless vocal samples and pounding, urgent beats drive the song forward as it builds to a climactic finale. It’s the perfect blend of Aurora’s soaring vocals and Rowland’s dazzling, vibrant production and a stunning conclusion to an album that continually surprises and always enthrals.
On Come Closer, Rowlands and Aurora have found common musical ground that pushes them to discover new musical horizons. While the record shares DNA with a Chemical Brothers album, it is not a Chemical Brothers album featuring Aurora. Tomora’s LP exists in its own world with a clear sense of identity forged from their distinctive musical journeys. It deserves to be the start of a new and rewarding journey for both of them.