From the left: Vaeo, rouri404 – Photo by Pilot Lee
Genre-crossing artist rouri 404 from Orlando, Florida, today released his five-track EP, crows. The project kicked off with a new track, “decay,” featuring alternative artist and longtime collaborator Vaeo. The culmination of a year of work, the album represents his personal growth and sonic evolution, with crows oscillating from manic emo screams to drum and bass kicks in a coherent package. An artist who refuses to be boxed in by one style, the EP sees him elevate a variety of styles, ushering in a new wave of soul-baked emo with pop and electronic vibes.
Regarding the production of “Crows,” Lurie 404 said:
“After recording ‘Smile’ I felt very strongly that this song had to be the first track on the EP. Production-wise I pushed a lot of sounds and ideas I’d touched on in the past to their limits, and lyrically I wanted to be as vulnerable and clear as possible. My biggest goal with this album is for everyone to hear it and take it for themselves. I thought maybe one of these songs could help someone feel less alone.”
rouri404 “decay (feat. Vaeo)”
The EP’s final single, “decay (feat. Vaeo),” arrives with an official music video directed by Pilot Lee. The visual sees him enter an isolated space alongside rouri404, splicing together home-video-style footage to showcase the track’s DIY tone. The duo are no strangers to working together, and their dynamic chemistry radiates on screen and through the intensity of the song.
Regarding “decay,” rouri404 adds:
“‘Decay’ was the last song we wrote for ‘Crows.’ After finishing all the other songs on the EP, my producer and I agreed that we needed one more hard song. After finding a weird and interesting guitar loop from my friend RJ Pasin, I quickly recorded 8 bars and felt that it had a different energy to the other songs. The lyrics were just a direct expression of the emotions I’m feeling right now. After losing my grandmother at the end of last year, I was in a bad place mentally and started isolating myself from a lot of things. Being able to get those emotions out so clearly and record and produce it all with some of my closest friends was an invaluable experience.”
“Shotgun Carousel”
About rouri404
Art and the internet are society’s last true equalizers, a place where the disadvantaged and have-nots can rise above their circumstances and become themselves, using pseudonyms and avatars. Orlando native Joseph (Joey) Cash, who has lived most of his life, found a home among the grids and waveforms of Logic and SoundCloud when traditional structures failed him. Dropping out of high school at 16 and struggling with drugs and self-doubt, Joey’s future was cloudy. But in early 2021, he realized he needed to go all in on self-transcendence, not halfway.
Moving beyond his early days as a hyperpop artist, Joey has finally come into his own under the name rouri404. Following his breakthrough 2022 EP “GORE,” Joey leaned more towards guitar-driven rock and emo. His current work showcases his blossoming talents as a lyricist, arranger, and executive producer.
He is clear and concise, and inspired by the duality that arises when making art in online spaces – how do you reconcile the capacity for infinite self-expression with the capacity for infinite self-creation? rouri404 considers artists like the prolific Bones and the perfectionist Daft Punk to be his guardian angels. “I struggle between the duality of being mystical with perfect visuals and perfect aesthetics and wanting to put out as much as possible as quickly as possible.” But as rouri404’s skill and stature have grown, his creative process has stayed true to his origins as a lost soul with a helping hand to his audience. He represents people like himself, a misunderstood teenager, a dead-end job, a music lover looking for something permanent when everything feels so disposable.
release information
rouri404 (Rouri 404)
EP “crows”
Released June 21st (Friday)
Streaming link:https://rouri404.ffm.to/crows
Label: Red Bull Records
Tracklist
1. smile
2.skin
3. spit
4. decay (feat. Vaeo)
5. Shotgun carousel
Music Videos
“decay (feat. Vaeo)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQZOsAA9q3o
“Shotgun Carousel”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7QcZ-xxWlQ
Follow rouri404
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rouri404/
Twitter: https://x.com/rouri404
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rouri404
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rouri404
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