Dreamy Synthpop Project GEMZ (Jen Wood And Ted Chen) Boosts The Sunlight with Radiant “Younger” (LICK remix)

Dreamy Synthpop Project 
GEMZ
(Jen Wood And Ted Chen)
Boosts The Sunlight with Radiant “Younger” (LICK remix)

MARCH 26, 2024 (Los Angeles, CA) — “This remix that LICK did totally takes ‘Younger’ to the next level,” says Jen Wood of GEMZ about the spin that the Arizona-based bass music producer put on their original. “I absolutely love how the song seems to sparkle and glimmer even more than our original GEMZ version.” Helmed by LICK (who is signed to Deadbeats, the label run by underground electronic outfit Zeds Dead), “Younger” (LICK remix) infuses the dreamy original with steady, pulsating rhythms and sparkly shimmer, readying it for a trancendental dancefloor.  

Along with bandmate, former Seattle electronic musician Ted Chen (now based in Sebastopol, CA), GEMZ is a new synthpop project has nods to the nostalgic pulsating electronic echoes of The Postal Service for which Jen has lent vocals (she duets with Ben Gibbard on “Nothing Better” and provides backing vocals on “Such Great Heights”). Ted says he loves LICK’s remix because he takes the core themes of the original song and puts the idyllic bliss on full blast. “I imagine hearing this song in the middle of a gigantic sea of people just losing myself dancing and laugh-crying the whole time with my friends.”

The original version of “Younger” (released earlier this year) was the duo’s single debut which started as a voice memo in 2017 and was fleshed out in 2022 by Ted. Shaping it into the stunning full-feldged track that it is today, his evolved version floored Jen who was “blown away” and “beyond delighted” with the “magical ideas” he added to her little gem of a song.

“This was a slow process of Ted and me building this song out, bit by bit, with thoughtfulness, love, and attention towards cultivating the sincerest, most epic, energetic signature. Taking our time to grow this song was a beautiful process and I really hope that people who hear it will truly enjoy the experience. The song is about “Loving life again, through the eyes and spirit of your younger self, before all the fucked-up shit happened to you,” she adds. “When we do the work and heal, it brings us back to the innocence and wisdom of a child. The pure heart of a younger version of yourself never dies.

As a solo artist, Jen has put out nine indie releases between 1993 and 2014, while taking a short diversion in 2003 to join The Postal Service as guest vocalist on its debut album Give Up and also performed with them at select live shows. 

Ted has been a part of a range of Seattle-based indie projects including an electro-pop band he started with his sister called CMYK (a.k.a. The Long Ranger) from 2004 – 2010 who became a go-to opener for many of their indie music heroes that toured through the city like The Go! Team, Jamie Lidell, Digitalism, Tegan and Sara, and Ghostland Observatory, to name a few. In 2004, he was signed to Delicious Label with indie rock band The Stereo Future.

“Younger” and “Younger” (LICK remix) are now available on all streaming platforms via Sonic Ritual and there are the first official releases from the duo known together as GEMZ. 

“YOUNGER” Lyrics:
Everything started going backwards
Everything started moving faster
Suddenly my heart was getting younger
Suddenly my arms were getting lighter

And in a minute I remembered who I was
I’m not no ordinary machine
They can change me
They can change me
They can change me

But they can’t take me
Take me
Take me
Take me

Everything started going backwards
Everything started moving faster
Suddenly my heart was getting younger
Suddenly my arms were getting lighter

And in a minute I remembered who I was
I’m not no ordinary machine
They can change me
They can change me
They can change me

But they can’t take me
Take me
Take me
Take me
Take me

I met you in another life
I loved you in a different time
I loved you in another life
I met you in a different time

And in a minute I remembered who i was
I’m not no ordinary machine
They can change me
They can change me
They can change me

But they can’t take me
Take me
Take me
Take me
Take me

I met you in another life
I loved you in a different time
I loved you in another life
I met you in a different time
(Your eyes are getting lighter
When you get close to me 
Close to me 
close to me
close to me)

Everything started going backwards
Everything started moving faster

Jen Wood’s Social Media:
Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp

Ted Chen’s Social Media:
Instagram