Japanese Wallpaper Stands Up For Himself On The Dreamy ‘Fooling Around’

Emerging from an almost two-year break from releasing new music, Melbourne singer-songwriter and producer Japanese Wallpaper is back with Fooling Around—another monolith to his dream-pop landscape.

Flush with Japanese Wallpaper’s bubbling and euphoric electronic textures, Fooling Around picks up exactly where the artist left off. The synths are living, breathing and hopeful—something that’s been a big part to this young producer’s big career. Through it all, the pop sensibilities are brought to the forefront and crush with a hooky chorus. The song, according to the artist, is not about fooling around in the literal sense, more about self belief and not ignoring your emotions.

Interestingly, if you’ve spotted some female vocal talent in the mix, it comes from Montgomery—the somewhat reclused and mysterious Gold Coast signer and producer. More backing vocals also come from Megan Washington who’s been also somewhat quiet on the new music front.

Japanese Wallpaper—real name Gab Strum—has been quiet since his 2016 EP release, ‘Cocoon’, which spawned such incredible singles as Breathe In, Forces and Between Friends. What began as an entirely instrumental project, slowly morphed into the dreamy pop we heard a couple of years back, which spurred the triple j Unearthed High win. Japanese Wallpaper primarily had guest vocalists, though he’s now shifted that focus unto himself also with incredible results. Fooling Around features his strongest, most confident vocal performance yet. In the past, he’s collaborated with Wafia and Airling and produced tunes for Eilisb Gilligan, Mallrat, Ben Sandridge and more.

RELATED: See our stunning gallery from Japanese Wallpaper’s previous Brisbane headline show back in 2016 HERE.

Come November, Japanese Wallpaper will jump on a North America tour with Shallou then heading home for a three show, east coast stint this December behind the new single. Scope the dates below and stream Fooling Around.

Japanese Wallpaper Live Dates

THURS 13 DEC
The Foundry, Brisbane
FRI 14 DEC
The Lair, Sydney
SUN 16 DEC
Howler, Melbourne