Fosfín – recently released their second single ‘Mutant’ on anniversary of 2023 Dublin riots

Dublin based art rock band Fosfín (Irish and Icelandic word for phosphine) released their second single ‘Mutant’ on 23 November 2024. It’s the title track from their forthcoming EP, a self-recorded, DIY project set for release on 25 January 2025.  Fosfín was founded by Brazilian born, Dublin based Paula Moura, and in 2023 drummer Meg Bruce (Tone Deaf, Gag Reflex and Shark School) joined the lineup for the recording of the EP.  The duo co-wrote and performed on the new single, and the band’s music fuses distorted guitars with harmonic and syncopated rhythms, drawing influence from Brazilian popular music.

Paula expands on the new single, and the significance of the release date:
“’Mutant’ is a love letter to Dublin. O’Connell Street is one of Dublin’s most iconic and historically significant streets. It is also the first stop in the City Centre, when coming from Dublin Airport. When I first arrived in Ireland back in 2014, that’s where I landed.

Ireland has been incredibly welcoming to me, and I’ve felt embraced here. However, there’s been a troubling rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, spurred by misinformation and growing right-wing influence across Europe (and everywhere really). It was on O’Connell Street the first time I witnessed an anti-immigration protest – a deeply unsettling experience as an immigrant myself. 

I chose to release this song on the anniversary of the 2023 Dublin riot as a way to reclaim this painful date in recent Irish history and remind us all that we cannot be both Irish and racist.”

‘Mutant’ follows debut single ‘Retornello’.  The bass heavy opening immediately grabs the attention of the listener, accompanied by the contrasting light plinking of percussion.  The moody atmosphere continues with the lyrics telling a narrative from the perspective of an incomer trying to understand their place.  The growing emotional power of the instrumentation reflects the themes of frustration and incomprehension at the negativity faced.  The inevitable tension is beautifully replicated in the soundscape.

Cover photo courtesy of Raísa Moreno.
Cover artwork by Maria Truana.