The MAY-A duet “Say Nothing” spells out Palaces’ vacuousness. There are few sparks between Flume and whoever graces the microphone, and it’s hardly ever the vocalist’s fault. Flume mingles with KUČKA on “Escape,” keeps Laurel at arms’ length on “I Can’t Tell” and leaves Damon Albarn to his own devices on the title track. Compare the chemistry between Flume and slowthai on “High Beams” from Hi This Is Flume to any companion piece here. He places his collaborators into his frameworks instead of working alongside them. The rarity of the Australian fauna is not reflected on Palaces so much as the fact that Australia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.ĭespite the fact that most of Palaces was recorded live there’s a disconnect between Flume and his guests. Byron Bay breathes life into Palaces, but the album fails to capture the town’s charm. He pays homage to the area’s unique wildlife, going as far as integrating bird calls that he recorded himself. He ditches that hedonism in favor of Byron Bay’s simplicity. Palaces arrives after Flume claims he’s over the large clubs and booming nightlife that he dove into over the past decade. He’s much happier to wake up, surf, and mix his music, all but forgetting the pythons slithering on his roof. He doesn’t own much, nor does he aspire to. Based on an interview he gave to NME, he doesn’t mind. 'Palaces' is the follow-up to 2016's Grammy-winning 'Skin'.After recording Palaces in the United States, Flume relocated to Byron Bay in New South Wales, Australia, a town so small that he claims he couldn’t even find an Uber there.

The 'Sleepless' star had doubts about going on medication for anxiety but admitted without it, he would've had to quit touring. I feel like a bad person for saying that, but I love making music but I hate touring.' 'I went to a therapist and I was like 'I hate my job, and it's f**ked that I can even say that because I have an incredible job that people dream of having. 'I think I wanna quit unless I can figure something else out,' Flume shared. He stated, 'I was at a point where I was like 'I don't wanna do this anymore.' When I have to use alcohol, like, I'm not having fun with this.' He wasn't happy.'įlume came close to quitting music until he decided to face his issues head-on by seeing a therapist. On how similar his behavior was to the 'Wake Me Up' hitmaker, who tragically took his own life aged 28 in April 2018, Flume said, 'I think people like Avicii and things, are literally the same as me.' He further elaborated, 'And he died because he was medicating himself just like I was, with alcohol, drugs, whatever. Even to this day, after I've done thousands of shows, I still get anxious.' The second I enter the festival I'm riddled with anxiety. He continued, 'Now I don't drink before shows, because I kind of realized that was a pattern, and it was getting pretty bad. 'I'm just not a performer and I've definitely used alcohol to feel comfortable on stage in front of people.'įlume has changed his ways and no longer drinks before his concerts, but that hasn't stopped him feeling anxious. 'I would drink to make it bearable, which sounds crazy but really it's the truth,' Flume shared. Like, when performing, I would drink to calm nerves.' In a candid interview in 2020, he said, 'I mean I used a lot of alcohol. The music star noticed similarities in the way he was dealing with his mental health to those of the late Avicii, whose family said he 'could not go on any longer' after years of health worries caused by stress and alcohol abuse.įlume admitted he would drink booze and get high to make himself feel confident enough to go on stage. The album also features Caroline Polachek on 'Sirens'.įlume's comeback came after he revealed he nearly quit music due to severe anxiety, which drove him to self-medicate. He spilled, “He was like ‘Alright, there’s something in this, this is cool.' After he came round to one of the songs, I did think ‘Thank f**k for that!” festival 'Life Is Beautiful' and linked up afterwards, and went to some weird studio in the middle of nowhere in the desert.' The 30-year-old DJ went on noting, “I was nervous because I’m a huge fan.'įlume was relieved when Damon finally took an interest in 'Palaces'. Speaking to NME, Flume, whose real name is Harley Streten, said, “We were both playing the L.A. In a new interview, Flume said the Blur and Gorillaz star very nearly didn't make it onto the LP at all, as he wasn't a fan of the songs Flume showed him. The Australian record producer said it was nerve-wracking working with his idol, Damon Albarn as the pair worked together on his latest studio album 'Palaces'.ĭamon is featured on the Flume's title track from his latest studio album. Flume has shared how it felt to work together with his idol.

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