Boombox Blitz: Rainer + Grimm are foolishly ‘Tempted’ by you

Welcome to Boombox Blitz, an artist spotlight series showcasing overlooked singers, songwriters and musicians who are quietly taking over the world.

The serpent is most closely associated with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Representing temptation ⎯⎯ for Eve in the Book of Genesis, it was a piece of delicious forbidden fruit ⎯⎯ and a physical manifestation of the Devil, the slithering creature works sinister magic throughout much of popular literature, art and music. So, it seems appropriate pop-EDM producer duo Rainer + Grimm would utilize such potent imagery on the cover art (below) to their seductive new single “Tempted,” featuring calming, yet piercing, vocals by Beach Season. “All the things I ever want to do always seem to lead me back to you,” swirls the euphoric pre-chorus line, sweltering and muggy, hanging thick in the production’s atmosphere.

Temptations of sex and luxury ⎯⎯ from exquisite furs, high-end booze, crystal chandeliers and silver-plated trophies ⎯⎯ are the centerfold to the accompanying visual. Directed by Mark Martin, the clip mixes reality and fantasy, tapping into the most primal of desires. On the video, the pair explained, “When it came to visuals for this project, we wanted to make sure we were doing something different – not quite dance, not quite R&B. We felt Mark was able to meet that vision, bringing his own style to compliment the music and create something unique.”

Running through grainy, vintage filters in a House of Lust, it seems, the sequence is an irresistible piece of cinema. “We’ve made a few videos before but this was the first time we felt the director’s vision really matched ours and really have the art come together symbiotically,” they added.

Toronto-based, the duo (real names Rainer Millar Blanchaer and Jeff Crake) hit it off during their music studies back in 2014. Their creative spark instantly ignited, they went on to snag numerous No. 1s on Hyper Machine, including gusty reinventions of Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me” and Gold Coast’s “Break My Fall.” Their own “Talk to Me” climbed to the summit, too. Additionally, they’re known as prolific songwriters, as well; Blanchaer penned The Weeknd’s “Wicked Games” and “Party & the After Party.” Meanwhile, Crake assisted in engineering Drake’s Nothing was the Same record.

Watch below:

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