Bob Bleedy expresses a somewhat dark wish in debut record Codependers, and that would be, for the world to end. He closes the album with the line: “Then I saw the world ending/We waited while embracing,”, in its title track. It reflects his desperation at his inability to remove himself from the situations bringing him turmoil, wishing for a disaster out of his control that would incidentally absolve him of the issues faced in his mind.

Second track, “Can’t You See”, epitomises the concoction of emotions at the heart of the LP, with the mesmerising cut platforming Bleedy’s tinged topline, intertwining it with rich, evocative synth production.

The solo project of Robert Kriz, one half of synth-pop duo JayRõ and founder of Prague-Berlin label Oddity Records, Bob Bleedy’s Codependers is centred around the interpersonal, complex relationships we rely on as humans. The album’s genesis came when, like many young adults, Kriz moved back home in 2020 as the world shut down, returning to his parents’ house in Prague. The time saw him drop out of university in Berlin, split from his band, and suffer testing dynamics with his father who was disapproving of his endeavours to craft a music career.

On Codependers, he documents the bonds shared with those closest to him, but also his struggle to remain authentic within his relationships. The album both recognises the precarity of his self-identity, whilst embracing that imperfection and the consciousness that people’s perceptions of you don’t define you.

Head below to listen to “Can’t You See” right now…