The best cinematic music doesn’t just accompany a mood. It creates one from scratch. You press play, and suddenly the room feels different. The lighting seems lower. The air gets heavier. You’re no longer just listening; you’re inside something.
That’s what happens immediately with Moon and Aries’ new single “Closer to You.” The 86 BPM beat settles into a hypnotic pulse, Peter Mitchell’s live guitar work adds just the right amount of depth, and Jordana Moon’s voice (hushed, sultry, almost conspiratorial) pulls you into what feels less like a song and more like a scene from a film you can’t look away from.
Released October 10th, “Closer to You” is the duo’s most cinematic effort yet. At 3 minutes and 41 seconds, it’s a noir-pop anthem that wouldn’t feel out of place in a James Bond opening sequence or soundtracking a Tarantino revenge arc. The production is thick with retro-futuristic textures, trip-hop cool, and that spy-thriller intensity that makes you want to turn the lights down and the volume up.
The track opens with atmospheric synths courtesy of Tom Aries, unforgettable keys that create a sense of space before Mitchell’s guitar enters the frame. There’s tension baked into every element, the kind you’d expect from something designed for midnight playlists and moody film soundtracks. Moon’s vocal delivery is the centerpiece here, warm and intoxicating, like she’s sharing a secret you’re not entirely sure you should be hearing. It’s storytelling through performance, equal parts seductive and dangerous.
“Peter Mitchell is our guitar hero,” the duo says. “The wonderful guitar sound in ‘Closer to You’ is played by him.” It’s a standout element, adding a bold yet delicate texture without overwhelming the track’s hypnotic core.
What’s interesting is how the song operates on multiple levels. Sonically, it pulls from Portishead’s brooding trip-hop, Goldfrapp’s electronic sophistication, and the vintage cool of Nancy Sinatra and Dusty Springfield. Lyrically, though, it’s doing something more abstract. The opening lines (“under the glass, under the sheets, under the water, above the ground”) establish a pattern of descent and ascent, of moving through layers to reach something essential. Moon sings about peeling away protection and pretense: “under these clothes, you will hear me scream out loud.”
The repetition builds like a mantra. “We are coming closer and closer to the circle, to the door, bursting in clover,” she sings, and each phrase adds momentum to the journey. It reads like a meditation on closeness itself, on the act of moving through barriers toward connection. The imagery shifts from the intimate to the cosmic: “to the circle, to the room, to the door, to the city, to the world.”
It’s the kind of track that invites interpretation. Is it about romantic longing? Spiritual seeking? The search for something just out of reach? Maybe all three. The beauty is in how the song refuses to give you a single answer, instead letting the mood and imagery do the heavy lifting. When Moon asks, “Oh, what will the world do when I am closer and closer to you,” it feels both deeply personal and somehow universal, as if she’s speaking for anyone who’s ever chased connection across impossible distances.
Later in the song, there’s a shift in perspective: “you will find me through the circle, to the room, to the door, to the city, to the world.” The seeker becomes the one being sought, the pilgrim becomes the destination. It’s a clever reversal that adds dimension to what could have been a simple love song.
The production team deserves credit for the track’s immaculate clarity. Chris Kung handled the mix, François Rocheleau the mastering (both from Canada), and their work elevates the song from good to genuinely cinematic. Every element has space to breathe without losing cohesion. “We are very thankful to have such an amazing team helping to create our unique sound,” Moon and Aries note.
Moon and Aries formed in 2021, a transcontinental collaboration between Jordana Moon in Canada and Tom Aries in Germany. They’ve been steadily building a catalog that defies easy categorization: three full-length albums, 33 tracks by the end of 2024, and now this. Their track “FIRENIGHT” hit number one on official DJ-pool charts in the U.S., and “Traffic” was featured in a compilation that cracked the top three on Amazon’s best sellers in the UK and Germany. They won Band of the Year at the OGIMA Music Awards in 2023.
What sets them apart isn’t just the music. It’s the intention behind it. Moon, a singer-songwriter and vocal coach with influences ranging from Joni Mitchell to Massive Attack, writes lyrics that explore consciousness and empowerment. Aries, classically trained with experience scoring video games and films, brings electronic precision and cinematic scope. Together, they’re not interested in mainstream formulas. “We are not mainstream artists,” they say plainly. “We have a higher mission. Melody meets meaning.”
That mission translates directly to “Closer to You,” which feels tailor-made for sync licensing opportunities. The kind of track music supervisors reach for when a scene needs atmosphere without sacrificing emotion. Romantic dramas, psychological thrillers, even spy narratives would benefit from its blend of mystery and style.
They’re currently working on a live album, planning to record in North America soon. Given how well their studio work translates atmosphere and nuance, a live recording should be something worth hearing. It’s fitting for a duo who believe good music doesn’t need an expiration date, who’ve built their sound on the idea that retro and futuristic aren’t opposites but partners.
“Closer to You” understands something fundamental about mood music: the best tracks don’t just set a scene, they become one. When a song can shift the temperature of a room, make the ceiling feel lower and the walls closer, that’s more than production skill. That’s the kind of chemistry between sound and emotion that makes you stop what you’re doing and just listen. It’s why the track works, why it lingers, and why it’ll find its way onto playlists that get played after midnight when the world feels a little more cinematic anyway.
Listen to “Closer to You” on Spotify. More information and music available at moonandaries.com. You can also find them on SoundCloud, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
