Stubborn Heart creates music that feels like a cold night warmed by a flickering heater. It is a sound defined by negative space: the silence between a sharp, clipped drum hit and a soaring, soulful vocal line. The duo masterfully balances the mechanical precision of electronic production with the raw, bleeding-heart vulnerability of classic soul, resulting in tracks that feel both modern and timelessly lonely.
What truly sets them apart is their restraint. While their contemporaries might clutter a track with bass drops or complex polyrhythms, Stubborn Heart lets a single synth line or a layered vocal harmony carry the emotional weight. There is a 'fuzzy' darkness that occasionally descends on their arrangements, adding a layer of grit and urgency to the otherwise pristine, minimalist soundscapes.
Start with their self-titled debut album, specifically the track 'Need Someone'. It perfectly encapsulates their aesthetic: a naked vocal, a simple beat, and an overwhelming sense of urban isolation that eventually builds into a rich, multi-layered electronic crescendo.
Stubborn Heart is a British electronic soul music duo consisting of Luca Santucci (vocals) and Ben Fitzgerald (production). The pair actually claim to be part of a longer lineage than the garage-dubstep continuum, calling what they do "electronic soul from the heart" and citing influences from the '60s (Stubborn Heart is an old northern soul track) and '80s synth-pop, as well as '90s techno, house and garage. Comparisons have been drawn with The XX, SBTRKT, My Computer, Mount Kimbie, James Blake & Four Tet. In a recent review by the BBC, elements of Stubborn Heart's musical style were likened to Art of Noise & Aphex Twin. Having signed to One Little Indian Records in mid-2012, Stubborn Heart's self-titled debut has gained coverage from the likes of NME, The Guardian as well as BBC 6Music. The duo's self-titled debut album was released on Monday, 5 November 2012. In the lead up to album's release, The Guardian featured Stubborn Heart as their band of the day. Also, the track from the album, 'Starting Block' has also been elected BBC 6Music breakfast's track of the week. The visual stream of the album was featured as an exclusive on NME.com on Wednesday, 31 October.
Shares downtempo, soul, trip-hop (subgenres); urban night, late night, rainy day (atmosphere)
Shares melancholic, brooding, wistful (moods); downtempo, trip-hop (subgenres)
Shares urban night, late night, rainy day (atmosphere); melancholic, lonely, brooding (moods)
Shares downtempo, trip-hop, synth-pop (subgenres); melancholic, brooding, wistful (moods)
Shares urban night, late night, rainy day (atmosphere); melancholic, brooding, wistful (moods)
Shares urban night, late night, rainy day (atmosphere); brooding, melancholic, tense (moods)
Shares urban night, late night, rainy day (atmosphere); melancholic, lonely, brooding (moods)
Shares urban night, late night, rainy day (atmosphere); downtempo, trip-hop, synth-pop (subgenres)
Shares soul, falsetto, synth-pop, downtempo (signature)
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