HAIR CONTROL – “SEEING IN THE DARK”
INDEPENDENT
Calgary, AB art-pop duo HAIR CONTROL (Ryan Bourne & Rebecca Reid) share “Seeing In The Dark,” a propulsive power-pop anthem that balances existential yearning with exuberant optimism. Blending driving synth-pop textures, cinematic pop-rock energy, and the pair’s signature existential workout aesthetic, the track transforms uncertainty into movement, finding a space of transcendence amidst the darkness of the times. It follows “TV in the Afterlife” as the second single to be shared from HAIR CONTROL’s forthcoming debut album, Electric Pleasure, set for release on October 30, 2026.
Originally inspired by a dream melody that arrived complete with the phrase “We The Ugly People,” recalling the classic Leonard Cohen line, “we are ugly but we have the music” as well as Pulp’s “Common People,” the chorus lyric drew from this sly sense of solidarity. Drawing influence from the spiritual yearning and melodic immediacy of classic mid-’70s power pop, particularly Dwight Twilley Band’s “Looking for the Magic,” “Seeing In The Dark” emerged as a celebration of collective connection and shared resilience.
As the lyrics developed, Bourne imagined a dark, rain-soaked road trip unfolding at midnight; lovers leaving their hometown behind and heading west toward the ocean. The song’s title became a central metaphor, expressing the ability to find clarity amid uncertainty and beauty amid darkness. Rather than looking toward some distant hopeful future, “Seeing In The Dark” suggests a collective awakening happening in real time, a turning away from despair and toward something larger and more meaningful.
Musically, the song continues HAIR CONTROL’s playful approach to pop experimentation. A heavily filtered synth lead traces the melody throughout the entire arrangement, serving simultaneously as compositional framework and featured instrument. Despite its power-pop spirit, the track contains virtually no traditional chord playing, instead relying on layered single-note lines that intertwine to create momentum, texture, and emotional lift.
The song was written during a series of late-night sessions in the duo’s studio, located for a time at the Art Castle, a 1940s home in Calgary whose facade was transformed in the mid-70s into a castle complete with spiral staircase leading up to a turret. Working from evening until sunrise, Bourne found himself accompanied each morning by an overwhelming chorus of birdsong. That atmosphere of quiet urgency and natural beauty seeped into the creative process, becoming part of the broader sonic world surrounding Electric Pleasure.
Production remains deceptively straightforward while embracing the duo’s lo-fi instincts. Built around a driving Roland 909 drum machine groove, beats, bass, synths, and guitars were tracked to a Tascam 246 Portastudio cassette recorder for a rich, warm foundation. Mixed by acclaimed producer Lorrie Matheson, the track gains additional lift through Reid’s silky vocal harmonies, adding a polished pop sheen without ceding the song’s homemade spirit.
Electric Pleasure is a multi-faceted album that moves between multiple eras and sonic touchstones across its 40 minutes. “Seeing In The Dark” is another future-classic Bourne melody that you’d swear had already been a smash hit in some other time and place. It’s a relatively straightforward moment of respite from the dense lushness of the rest of Electric Pleasure, but they still keep it weird with a melted, wasted-sounding instrumental bridge, complete with a mangled, effects-laden guitar solo.
HAIR CONTROL is the collaborative project of Ryan Bourne (Chad VanGaalen, Ghostkeeper, The Plant City Band) and Rebecca Reid, blending existential lyricism with avant-dance pop, synth experimentation, and psychedelic groove. Their music explores love, death, sex, altered states, and apocalypse anxiety through a lens they describe as their “existential workout regime.”
Drawing inspiration from a wide sonic universe including Kraftwerk, Neu!, New Order, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and Gary Numan, HAIR CONTROL occupy a space where art-pop experimentation and irresistible hooks coexist effortlessly.
With “Seeing In The Dark,” HAIR CONTROL continues to transform existential uncertainty into movement, connection, and celebration. It’s proof that sometimes the clearest vision emerges after the lights go out.
Hair Control
Electric Pleasure
(Independent)
Release Date: October 30, 2026
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