“You Win !!!” Mixes Synth Wave With Dark Pop

The haunting, crooning vocals of Amanda Huff have become instantly recognizable to those who have paid attention to Milwaukee’s music scene in recent years. Her debut solo album, Hemiptera, made it onto a respectable number of “Best of” lists for Milwaukee music in 2018, and established Huff as an artist that excelled at writing atmospheric lo-fi pop music. But a chance encounter with local producer William Gardiner has created a new platform for Huff’s distinct vocals – one that calls back to ‘80s synth wave interwoven with elements of contemporary dark pop.

You Win !!! was conceived after Huff met Gardiner through the Hear Here Presents live music series. Huff was a frequent performer, and Gardiner, who runs music production under the name This Random Machine, would run sound. The pair bonded over their love of the UK trip-hop group Massive Attack and all things nerdy and began collaborating. After Huff released her solo track “Gravetalking,” which featured production by Gardiner, they decided to make their partnership long-term and formed You Win !!!.

“My strengths don’t lie in instruments, and so I’d be writing all of these skeleton tracks,” Huff says. “When William came along, we clicked right away and he was able to read my mind and fill in those gaps.”

Pulling inspiration from Massive Attack’s iconic trip-hop sound and mixing in elements of dark pop and electronic music, You Win !!! is a fantastical exploration of the human psyche, thematically touching on the human ego and perception of pain. Huff’s vocals are colossal and enchanting, and she sings as though she’s casting a spell on the audience. Meanwhile, Gardiner’s production creates a haunting atmosphere that swells throughout, giving Huff a powerful, looming platform for enchanting the group’s listeners.

The duo made its debut with the single “Shrap.nel” in 2020, a song written from the perspective of a god-like figure who has seen through the disguise of an egotistical mortal.

“The mortal has taken pieces and is trying to paint themselves as a god,” Huff says. “Throughout the song, (the god) starts mocking them for the foolishness of thinking you can just put on a costume and that it will make you something greater.”

Gardiner’s synth is akin to a cautionary siren, warning the mortal of the danger they’ve put themselves in as Huff playfully sings lines like “You made your mistake/When you chose to wear your fear as your perfume.” It’s an excellent introduction to the dynamic of the duo – where Gardiner’s instrumentals are warning the listener of Huff’s cunning performance.

About a half a year later, You Win !!! released its next single, “Painmonger” – a track showcasing You Win !!!’s poppier, dancier side. Here, Gardiner takes a spacier approach to his production while Huff croons about the human relationship with pain. The instrumentation on this track takes the spotlight, with a heavy-hitting drum track that refuses to give up. Meanwhile, fluttering synths offset that aggressiveness – a fitting dynamic considering the song’s lyrical content.

“‘Painmonger’ is about the sensationalism that surrounds pain and the way that we’ve made it a as much of a form of entertainment as it is a deeper, really human thing,” Huff says. “The different ways in which humans are able to televise and market and exploit pain puts it in this different vein that I was interested in.”

That single is accompanied by a music video shot by Brendan Thain Jones. The video shows professional wrestlers Zach Hendrix and Kurt Krueger duking it out as Huff and Gardiner encourage the violence from the sidelines. The violent and chaotic visuals provide a quite literal reflection of the song’s meaning, with lyrics like “Are you still human?/Or are you losing touch?”

You Win !!!’s latest release is a collaboration with electronic artist BLOOD. The single, titled “The Entrance,” is an exploration of sexuality – particularly the struggle of embracing one’s identity. You Win !!! is at its most tame this time around, providing a song that would fit right in on the tracklisting of any ‘80s movie soundtrack. Reverb-soaked drums and shimmering synths transport the listener to a bygone decade while Huff’s vocals invite the listener in during the verses before blasting off during the song’s explosive choruses.

You Win !!! is currently wrapping up the production of its debut full-length record. Huff promises that a single titled “Bloodsport” will be out by the end of Fall. She’s also particularly excited about a song from the album titled “The Tower,” a concept track that explores different facets of destruction and starting anew.

“After we finish playing these upcoming shows, it’s going to be heads down and finish the album,” Huff says. “We’ve got all the songs written, it’s just a matter of mixing them and getting the pieces together.”

Huff may have made an impact on her own when she first started out, but it’s clear that the partnership with Gardiner is pushing them both to new heights. The band’s name is a reference to the victory message often used in fighting video games, and You Win !!! proves that winning always tastes a little sweeter when a “player two” is by your side.