Chicago-based indie pop duo Sarko Montaug – married partners Cristian and Jess Mora – who have stepped out on the music scene with their unique blend of innovative sounds that pay tribute to the past while celebrating today’s musical landscape. The duo conceived their name from DJ Anita Sarko and Doorman Haoui Montaug, who are known for providing places for artists like Beastie Boys and Madonna to perform when they were “unknowns.” According to Sarko Montaug: “We’ll always sound indie, even when we are trying to be pop and we’ll always be trying to modernize the past.”
They’ve just released their glimmering debut single “Possessive”, which radiates with a mix of retro 80s dance flavor, instantly transporting us back to a celebrated era of fashion, lavish nightclubs, and when people operated on a completely different level of “strange,” but adding a contemporary and experimental twist, resulting in a progressive pop melody that radiates with intoxicating sensations.
Like so many songs of the 80s, “Possessive” – produced and mixed by the acclaimed Jorge Elbrecht – sonically masks the song’s darker underlying meaning. Thematically, the song paints the picture of toxic relationships and imbalances of power, but this heaviness is washed over with a feel-good danceable melody, catchy rhythms and glowing synths, creating a charismatic atmosphere of lightness and fun, like you would too if you heard this track on the dancefloor. Each layer of the song’s instrumentation mixes with the vocals to create a feeling that you get wrapped up in, but it’s not overly complicated. Ultimately, the listener is able to just show up, explore their feelings, and dance along for an enjoyable ride. Sarko Montaug confide: “It aims to be the ‘dance while setting a reminder to bring up that toxic ex-relationship at your next therapy session’ hit of the summer.”
In the accompanying visuals for “Possessive,” the viewer is taken deeper into the imagination of Sarko Montaug, further showcasing the duo as artists who are unafraid to push boundaries to create memorable experiences through bizarre and out of the box concepts. The main character in the video are feet, as they are tasseled and toyed with through a retro-inspired lens. “A fetish theme seemed a proper fit for the song,” says Jess. “And I feel like the foot fetish in particular is ready for mainstreaming. I would love for this to be a part of that movement.”
Check out the video for “Possessive” and for more information on Sarko Montaug, visit their website or follow them on Instagram.
