Brooklyn, NY-based queer artist Jason Anthony Harris is set to issue a new dance mix of the song “Eyes Can’t Stop Listening” under his electronic-music moniker, Public Speaking, tomorrow — but we have an early jump on the track and bring it to you today.

“Eyes Can’t Stop Listening” is from the album Songs Need People, which consists of songs written for Harris’ Patreon project I Want to Write a Song About You. For the project, listeners fill out a questionnaire about themselves and their circumstances, and the singer/songwriter pens and records a track revolving around the submission within 30 days.

“Eyes Can’t Stop Listening (Dance Mix)” was made from Harris’ voice, then heavily manipulated and composed on his laptop to build a pulsing soundworld of its own. Check it out:

Harris said in a statement he provided to the Big Takeover that the song is about a British crime novelist and his recent divorce.

“Layers of voice and breath pulse and pan across the stereo field,” the statement read. The track goes on “an intimate journey through the demise of a relationship and the isolation, anger and resentment that ensue. … First performed at [indie bar/venue] C’mon Everybody in Brooklyn during last fall’s dip in COVID infections, this new, faster dance mix adds intricate percussion and a touch of synth. The song tries to convey what it feels like to obsessively watch your relationship fall apart, and once your love is gone, attempting to inhabit what was once a shared home.”

Harris began performing as Public Speaking in 2012. He grew up on a Christmas tree farm in central Florida, and came to New York City in 2004 to get his start in music. Working in Chelsea and empowered by his heroes in early glam rock, he also embraced his bisexuality for the first time. He formed multiple bands and performed around the city before going solo in 2009.

The Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter has done several solo tours across the U.S., and before the pandemic hit, he was plotting his first European tour. Harris has released albums on Already Dead Tapes; Fabrica Records; Tape Drift; and on the label he formed with his Brooklyn friends and collaborators, Floordoor Records.

His songs have been remixed by other avant-garde electronic artists like More Eaze, Jeremy Bible, Ariadne and more. British comedian and TV personality James Acaster wrote about Harris and his music for his London Times bestselling book “Perfect Sound Whatever” in 2019.

Originally, the songs featured on I Want to Write a Song About You were only meant to be heard by the patrons, he said. But as Harris began to compile more and more rich new material from his process, he asked some of his supporters for their permission to share their songs publicly.

“So far, everyone has been happy to oblige, but there are some songs that Harris realizes must be kept private because they are too personal and specific to the listener,” he said in the statement. “Most, however, resonate beyond the person they were written for.”

He released two albums’ worth of the songs in 2021: Songs Need People, which contains the original “Eyes Can’t Stop Listening” mix, and Songs Need Friends.

Harris continues to compose songs for people who want a personalized interpretation of their life and struggles, he said.

Public Speaking-related links:

Public Speaking’s Patreon
Public Speaking’s Bandcamp
Public Speaking’s Facebook
Public Speaking’s Instagram
Public Speaking’s website