London duo Real Lies make a wordy, emotive, oddly talky form of dance music that hits a certain late-night sweet spot. In 2021, when they were getting ready to release their sophomore album Lad Ash, we made them a Stereogum Band To Watch. A few months ago, they released their Sinking Suburb EP. Now, Real Lies have teamed up with Irish dance producer Kettama for a new single called “Purple Hearts.”

As you may have already figured out, the title of “Purple Hearts” has nothing to do with battlefield valor. Instead, it’s a drug reference. The track works as a zonked-out late-night reverie, a portrait of an exhilarating moment when everything feels both beautiful and dangerous. The beat is harder and more intense than what we hear on most Real Lies tracks, but the feeling is similar.

The “Purple Hearts” video is a first-person account of a hazy night out clubbing with friends. Shout out to anyone who’s ever been out at a park, late at night, and made eye contact with a fox. That’s a real uncanny moment, and a version of it happens midway through this clip. Check it out below.

“Purple Hearts” is out now on Steel City.