Theophilus London has been performing his song “Whiplash” with Tame Impala at shows for a while, but the song has finally received an official release courtesy of Zane Lowe, who premiered the song today on his show as his World Record. It’s a simmering, swirling synth rock/hip-hop thumper that demands energetic dancing. Check it out below.
The song itself dates back sometime before the 2016 Boiler Room set where Theo first performed it. Recorded at a session with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker where anything and everything went, the pair apparently produced a ton of music, but only just got around to actually releasing any of it. “Whiplash” cropped up again in 2018 during Virgil Abloh’s Beats 1 show, but today is the first time it’s “officially” available on commercial streaming services.
Meanwhile, Theo himself is on the comeback trail after a musical hiatus beginning in 2014 after the release of his album Vibes. Aside from his EP Lovers Holiday II, which was also released that year, his output has been close to nil. However, in December, he told Billboard that after a stint of creative indecision that included DJ gigs and modeling contracts, he’d simplified his life, from his cell phone to his social media presence and now feels ready to start releasing music again.
