Watch: Liu Bei - "Fields (feat. Rachel Goswell of Slowdive)" [Premiere]

A heady potion, combining ambient synths, enormous Joy Division soundscapes (circa "Atmosphere") and a sense of melody normally reserved for hook-riddled pop, "Fields" will drag you under the waves by the scruff of your neck. It's an astonishing slice of melancholia, littered with nuanced beauty - slowly rising string swells, a solitary violin serenade, Goswell's impeccable harmonies - that always sounds like its building to a crest. That final crescendo never arrives, and we're just left, emotionally bruised and still holding our breath for sweet relief.

The band's Rich Walters has described the track as "a paean to teenage small-town living, love and the urge to escape".

Liu Bei's upcoming Goodness EP is due out 2 February via Museumgoer, and will be supported by a range of live dates you can check out after the clip.

The visuals have been directed by COOPER, with assistance from Lisa Un-Nye, Chiron Cole and Grace Lightman.

February

3 – The Cellar, Oxford
4 – The Shacklewell Arms, London
5 – The Eagle Tavern, Manchester
6 – The Leadmill, Sheffield