PRESSYES is the studio project of producer and musician René Mühlberger. He is known for his collaborations with Clueso, Bilderbuch, and CariCari, as well as his first band, Velojet. Both the debut album On The Run (2019) and the sophomore release Breeze In Breeze Out (2022) were nominated for the Amadeus Austrian Music Award. Although PRESSYES records everything independently in the studio using vintage equipment exclusively from before 1978, the live performances feature a 4-5 member band. Highlights include celebrated gigs at France’s Transmusicales Festival and Austria’s Popfest.
Mühlberger’s latest single, “Blue Datsun,” is as sleek and nostalgic as the vehicle it borrows its name from. The sun-drenched anthem is bursting with bright guitars and swift melodies, evoking the feel-good nature of surf rock and the carefree feeling of being a passenger on a slow cruise. While hints of pop-leaning melodies and breezy tones provide the warmth of familiarity, Mühlberger isn’t just piecing together popular tropes for a road-trip-ready anthem. In the two-and-a-half-minute runtime, the artist fits nuanced mood changes that give the song a sense of unpredictability. The warping vocal effects, searing guitar solo, and thudding drum distortion juxtapose the pop tendencies of “Blue Datsun” beautifully. The magic is in the nuances of Mühlberger’s latest outing. Whether you choose the song for a relaxing soundtrack or decide to dig through the sonic shifts with a fine tooth comb, “Blue Datsun” is a neon-lit anthem with deep grooves and sugary melodies.
