New Romantic Revivalist Aynjel Soaks The Night In Synth At ‘Tell Me When’ Release Party

If you were to have been wandering down the streets of Camberwell on the night of March 25, you would have maybe had the feeling that you had time travelled to 1983. 

To celebrate the release of her electric single ‘Tell Me When’, London’s New Romantic darling Aynjel took to Dash The Henge Records to unveil the track to her nearest and dearest before its official release. Music Is To Blame had exclusive access to the synth-soaked party - here’s how it went. 

Upon walking up to Dash The Henge, a wonderfully quirky independent record store, thumping bass and electronic licks could be heard decorating the atmosphere of the road as London’s 80s revivalists lined the pavement outside dancing, smoking and dazzling passers-by with their maximalist outfits. At the front of the store, behind the decks, stands Aynjel, a walking collage of her influences, a synth-pop princess spinning records that aimed to demonstrate her diverse range of inspirations for her new track.

Amongst the records, people dancing filled the store, their wild moves creating a feeling as if you had stumbled into an episode of Top of the Pops in the best way; a sweat soaked fever dream soundtracked by the decade’s finest.

As expected, the night was colour-coded to match the extravagant single. The beautifully hand-drawn invites declare that “BLACK+BROWN+RED+GOLD” would be the palette of the night - deliciously decadent while still embracing a certain darkness.  

Being her first official release, the pre-release party felt like a significant moment for the singer and DJ. Armed with a bouquet of tulips she presented ‘Tell Me When’ to her peers - which went down a treat. Inspired by some of the era’s deliciously excessive songs like Soft Cell’s ‘Sex Dwarf’, the song is a sucker-punch that expertly captures the darker aspects of the 80s electronic scene, all the while ushering in a new twist on the genre, a modern retelling of a classic story.

‘Tell Me When’ is short and sweet in its execution, coming in at just under two minutes. The lingering vocal guides us through the protagonist's frustration with being stuck in the same place. The minor notes sung in chorus burrow under the skin of the listener, the inner turmoil lashing out. The punchy drum machine beats a guttural blow of electronic anguish as Aynjel sings to “Tell me when it will stop!”. 

The stripped back instrumental clangs off the walls of the song, an audio prison cell in the best way - cold, dark, and oozing with industrial tendencies. Aynjel is a disciple of degenerate disco, the pioneers of synth past. She expertly intertwines the elements of what made that wave of music so special, colouring it with a vivid modern sensibility, thereby presenting the world with a song fit for the disillusioned misfits of the modern world. 

Aynjel can be found DJing all throughout London and over the airwaves, bringing her New Romantic nightlife visions to life with her ‘Plastic Club’. ‘Tell Me When’ is a brooding and visionary taste of what is to come for the artist. The song and its accompanying party tell us that there is still a thirst for the lavish alternative London of the past - to the Blitz Kids of 2025, Aynjel is leading the charge. 

Eylem Boz

@itwslv

Images: Adrian Zeqja (@adrianzeqjaa)

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