CONTEST: Win a signed portrait of Tame Impala's Kevin Parker by Samantha Rui

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CONTEST: Win a signed portrait of Tame Impala's Kevin Parker by Samantha Rui

The music of Tame Impala no doubt inspires a lot, with its psychedelic eccentricities adapted for the millennial, post-Internet age.

And the band's visual elements, ranging from its masterful Leif Podhajsky cover art to their live concert projections, are definitely catalysts for fan-art, as it shows with artist (and R&B singer) Samantha Rui's latest work — a portrait of the band's chief architect, Kevin Parker.

A relatively new fan of the band — she was completely convinced by the release of Currents — Rui also admits that her love for the band stemmed from the aftermath of a breakup, and the rich intimacy of songs like 'Eventually' and 'Yes I'm Changing' kept her hooked.


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"These songs are the perfect transitional ones, the combination of these powerful lyrics and Kevin Parker's wonderfully rich/strange vocal quality," says Rui. "and with these heavy synths and strong beats/electric guitar, they're songs that make you think and feel, yet you can still dance to them and overwrite whatever you're feeling with pure rhythm and atmosphere."

Rui was able to meet Parker when the band was in town recently, and she was able to get the portrait signed by the man himself. Here's her take on her approach to the befittingly psychedelic artwork. 

I decided to do Parker's portrait because, after all, he is the mastermind behind the band. And also because with the much more contemplative and mellow style of Currents, you really get the sense that these songs are Parker's stories, his feelings unfiltered. So I wanted to capture the man behind the emotion.

The overall colour of the album is hazier than their older records, I feel — the same buzzing ripples of colour and sound, but with a sort of translucent fluffy blanket of deliberate emotion coating it all.

There are songs that are straight up bangers, for sure, but the strength of this album, I feel, lies in its ability to encase you in this feel-good aura, wash over you, and meaningfully pierce you at the same time.

So that was what inspired my colour palette. Colourful but mellow."


The portrait is also now up for grabs, thanks to Universal Music Singapore.

But to qualify for an entry, you'll need to purchase their latest album Currents from iTunes. Save the e-receipt from the purchase and fill in your details here to enter.

Contest ends May 8th, 11.59pm. Entrants must reside in Singapore to qualify.