Sulka is the Glasgow-based DIY songwriting/recording project of Lukas Clasen, whose style blends hushed, intimate vocals, warped lo-fi production, and dynamic mood changes. In 2021, Sulka joined the Lost Map Records collective with his well-received LP, Take Care, which gained him a wider listenership and BBC radio play from the likes of Vic Galloway and Steve Lamacq.
Since then, the project has expanded to involve a four-piece band and has enlisted the help of producer Chris McCrory (Catholic Action, Walt Disco) on their follow-up record, Distractions, released in September 2023. This marked a departure from the bedroom aesthetic of earlier releases in an effort to capture the dynamics of the live band.
As Sulka continues to evolve, the band drops off “Halloween,” an appropriately seasonal look into the lush, blissful shoegaze of an exciting band. The magic is in the intricacy of this performance, but Clasen is hiding it in plain sight. One could get lost in the whirling, subdued vocals that still manage to deliver an emotional impact, become disillusioned by the lo-fi warmth that blankets “Halloween,” and slowly unravel the dense yet dynamic arrangement, but Sulka is not the type of band you let passively play. A closer look at their new single unveils a folksy narrative of fearing retaliation for emotions you can’t control, opting to hide them rather than share. The immersive songwriting draws the listener right into the heart of a romantic conflict, one that is passive yet profoundly damaging. The band guides you through these complex emotions with a refreshing perspective on shoegaze, making “Halloween” a proper introduction to Sulka.
“It’s a song inspired by the Halloween season and makes references to the film Donnie Darko, which is one of my all-time favourites. There’s such a feeling of nostalgia to that film, as well as themes of inner turmoil and angst, that I wanted to capture in this song,” explains Clasen. “The track’s narrative follows a couple that is struggling to communicate, with their Halloween costumes becoming symbolic of their true selves being disguised.”
