Never Really Gone

Never Really Gone is the sixth studio by alternative pop duo Indigo Peak. It is their first studio release since 2011's 'Hunter/Prey' and the first to be released on the duos own label IPR.

Background
In a December 2020 interview with Fault Magazine, member Andre Cassenove stated that whilst they'd been on a ten year hiatus, they had continued to produce material, which was cited as the inspiration for the albums title. 'Cocaine', one of the last tracks to be added to the album was selected as the first single release and became the duos first number one since 2009's 'Fire! Scream!'/'Pornographic'. It is was reported to have been the track that influenced the overall sound of the LP. 'Cocaine' was well received by critics with NME calling it "a more mature look at the Indigo Peak creative process." A further track 'Stockwell', was offered as an instant grat track to all who pre-ordered online formats of the single. 'Stockwell' showcased a more vulnerable side to the duos standard fare and is said to have been inspired by member and writer Yannik's first encounter with popstar Justyce. During their Intimate and Live online gig in December 2020, Indigo Peak debuted album cut 'Good Enough', which was well received by fans and critics. This track was reported to have been inspired by Yannik's divorce with popstar Jake in 2012. Following the gig, 'Good Enough' was released to streaming platforms as a promotional single.

In a press release dated January 4th 2021, Semble Management announced that Indigo Peak would release the album on February 5th of that year alongside the single 'Never Really Gone'. It was revealed that the album would contain 12 tracks including collaborations with Emily Henning, Jack Stevens, Shell Ruin, Justyce, Alesha and Lena Moskalyova of Neoncity. The cover art and tracklisting were revealed by Indigo Peak via their official website on January 5th, 2021. A deluxe edition was announced containing alternative artwork and three additional tracks on January 13th 2021.

The album sold over 200,000 copies in its first week and was certified silver during its second. On February 24th 2021, Indigo Peak announced that they would release 'Bad Son (Hyperion Mix)', a collaboration with Neoncity vocalist Lena Moskaloya as the LP's third official single on April 2nd of that year. 'Bad Son' became the duos fourteenth number one single when it debuted at the top of the charts in April 2021. Soon after, the duo announced the release of 'Emperor EP', a collaboration with Alesha featuring the single mix of 'Emperor' alongside five new tracks.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the entirety of 'Never Really Gone' was recorded and produced at Andre Cassenove's home studio. Collaborative acts, for the most part recorded their vocals remotely. The brothers drew some criticism in January 2021 after Andre Cassenove Tweeted a photograph of Alesha recording vocals in person.

On January 26th 2021, Indigo Peak tentatively announced that they would headline Mighty Hoopla in London's Brockwell Park on September 4th of that year.

In March 2021, Indigo Peak collaborated with videogame giants EA on an exclusive 'Stuff Pack' for The Sims 4. The duo re-recorded the album in its entirety in 'Simlish', The Sims in-game language.

Influences
The album is influenced by the rave culture of the early to mid 1990's. The LP incorporates elements of Dance, EDM and Electronica. During their Fault Magazine interview the brothers dubbed the album "an acid trip."

Indigo Peak are both classically trained musicians and play instruments throughout.

Visually, the album sports a grunge aesthetic and uses 90's photographs of partygoers throughout. In Flaunt Magazine Yannik Cassenove stated "I found myself feeling incredibly nostalgic for the 90's. I think most adults have those same feelings about the decade that spanned their childhood."

Documentary
Supporting the release of the album was 'Never Really Gone: A Documentary', a collaboration with streaming giant Netlfix. The 1 hour, 39 minute special showcased the duo as they recorded their sixth LP whilst discussing the music that influenced their process. Interviews with 1990's producers are featured.

Critical Reception
'Never Really Gone' received widespread critical acclaim upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, 'Never Really Gone' has an average score of 95 based on 25 reviews, indicating 'generally favourable reviews', Indigo Peak's highest rated album. NME writer Becky Rogers said "this album is a journey in nostalgia for anyone who misses a good old fashioned dancefloor" adding " this is everything you'd expect to take away from an Indigo Peak album yet everything else you might not." DIY Magazine writer James Piper dubbed the album "A perfect collection of 'crying on the dancefloor' hits" whilst The Guardian writer Sarah Jessica Harper in her review said "its been ten years in the making and the newest offering from Indigo Peak doesn't disappoint." At The Times, writer Imogen Price reviewed the album as "12 glittering tracks with heavy 90's influences. The perfect soundtrack to any party" whilst Rolling Stone writer Leon Cousteau dubbed the album "a solid offering from one of the UK's most exciting exports." Slant Magazine writer Yolande Hooper wrote ''"a far more mature offering from Indigo Peak. Their growth over the past decade is particularly evident in tracks like 'Bad Son' and 'The Target' with delightful nods to their previous work in tracks such as 'Never Really Gone', 'Cocaine' and 'Emperor'".''

One particular aspect of 'Never Really Gone' that impressed reviewers was the subject matter, which was described by multiple writers as "their most personal record to date." Many reviewers praised 'Never Really Gone' for including "happy sounding sad songs. Multi-faceted tracks that could fill a dancefloor yet make you think."

A principal topic of discussion among reviewers was the albums production. Many noted the duo's 'retro' approach to the LP, praising the group for their "nostalgia inducing, 1990's rave influenced instrumentals."

Frontman and main vocalist Yannik Cassenove was praised for his vocal skills throughout the album. Melissa Mole of Heat Magazine noted "Cassenove has always been a vocal powerhouse and the maturity in his voice since the last time we heard from the duo is truly delightful."

The duo's choice of Collaborators was also noted as an album highlight with Metro reviewer Bianca Loop writing "previous collaborator Alesha joins the group for the first time since 2009 and whilst it could be said that the brothers are re-treading old ground, the end result is an absolute triumph." Also noting "Shell Ruin adds a layer to the brothers work on 'Sleeping Dogs/Getaway Car' that we've never seen from the duo. It's a stunning track and I'd love to see the group explore that side to their music further in the future."

The online exclusive, instrumental 'Andre Edition' of the album was highlighted by many reviewers as being a "joy to listen to," with Eric Stole of The Daily Mirror stating "hearing the tracks minus vocals enables the listener to hear the very intricacies of Cassenove's production skills. It's a travesty that this has only been released digitally. A vinyl issue would be an absolute must for any fan."

Tracklistings
All tracks written and produced by Indigo Peak except where noted

Chart Performance
‘Never Really Gone’ debuted at number one selling over 200,000 copies in its first week alone. It remained in the number one position for the following two weeks, earning a platinum certification with sales in excess of 800,000 copies within its first ten weeks.

Personnel

 * Yannik Casseonve – lead vocals, songwriter, instrumentation
 * Andre Cassenove – backing vocals, producer, instrumentation
 * Shell Ruin – vocals, producer (track 9)
 * Lena Moskalyova – vocals (track 2)
 * Emily Henning – vocals (track 7)
 * Jack Stevens – vocals (track 7)
 * Justyn Wolfe – vocals (track 10)
 * Alesha – vocals (track 12)

Trivia

 * This is the second time Indigo Peak have collaborated with Alesha, the first being 2009's 'Filthy Preacher'/'Shoot To Kill'. In addition, Indigo Peak sampled Alesha single 'The Hunted' on their 2011 single 'Love Is Violence'.
 * Although writing/producing music for Emily Henning previously, this marks their first musical collaboration.
 * The duo have previously collaborated with Shell Ruin on 'Arcadium' album cut 'Dub Me To Hell'. As well as 'The Devil Below', which served as a bside to 'Red Raw'.
 * Indigo Peak have recorded with Jack Stevens three times. The first being their single 'Electric Eccentric' and the second being 'Hunter/Prey' album cut 'The Stars'.
 * Yannik Cassenove began dating popstar Justyce (real name Justyn Wolfe) during their recording sessions.
 * Lena Moskalyova is the lead singer of Neoncity. The band stated in a 2020 interview that Indigo Peak had inspired their creation.