One of those dark nights, with nothing to do. Ohh yeah, the ones when you're stuck at home and there's absolutely nothing to do but let the thoughts just go into an erratic semi-coherent mishmash and try to find a way to expend all the energy that's overloading your brain, but too soon after hangover that made you not quite capable of drinking in the following day. Four AM, and insomnia keeps the silence from being pleasant. Nearly wanting to feel that tinnitus cutting through the darkness to give it some uniform texture. Driving through some forest, yeah, that'll help get some focus. So I just popped the new EvsY album in the CD player. Always nice to have a groove to the ride. Makes it seem like some videoclip with you as the director. Nearly gives a feeling of control.
Driving around in the middle of the night. Yeah, bright idea. The trees cover almost every single star, and things seem to creep out from the shadows, not quite visible, but then again, there's that ominous feeling of being watched. Not by some cliche evil spirits or whatever, just that something is out there, doing... whatever. Or it may just be some pent up paranoia. Sure, why not. Take a cynical view of this situation. Driving around mummbling to yourself. Way to go hero. The road's endless twists and turns, up and down, left and right, yet it just keeps the same. Hit the gas a bit harder. Yeah, that's the stuff. A closed lip smile starts reaching out. Yeah, there's not anything else to do but just flow with it. A clearing in the road lets the stars in the moonless reach out, seeming so infinite, the feeling of being trapped inside of a box pervades. Gotta love it.
Leave the forest. Enough of this, time for a clear road, hit the gas, feel the Gs, and head nowhere in particular. Lighting up a cigarette, some roadlights turn on giving that yellow light off everything. Mild traffic ahead, giving off the reds from behind the cars that the vehicle is zigzaging between. Flashes of white from the cars coming from the other direction, not quite burning into the retinas of an insomniac on a ride. Time to take a stop in a diner for some coffee, can't drive around like this much longer. Don't want to crash and burn quite yet. Scratch that. A cheap energy drink that tastes like cough syrup, and bam, off to the big city. That's more like it. The familiar rush of neon signs, flashing lights, giant posters of scantily clad models with some brand name for a jeans manufacturer. Home sweet home, where insanity is viewed as normal, even a moral obligation. The beautiful smell of exhaust fumes, delicious.
The nearly overwhelming sounds and tastes of the city are getting a bit too much, the town center is not the required destination anymore. Heading east, towards the nearest hill. Damn traffic clogs the way in every turn, frantic lane-cutting action, the blinding glare of the city is getting too harsh. Even the suburbs would be a relief. It seems like an eternity, the waves of claustrophobia are coming back with a vengeance, and finally as the flashes subside, into the relative calm of the not-quite-so-loud neighborhoods, the sky begins to grow ever so slightly brighter, the stars a bit dimmer, the clouds a bit redder. There it is, the hill outside of town, one final rush and the end of the road. Leaving the car, sitting outside, knowing that the sun will soon rise over the horizon, beer in hand, lighting up for the last time of the night. Back to another day, back to normality. Maybe I'll be able to get some sleep now. As the clouds that were red a while ago seem dark and thick, looming over the entire landscape, and a few drops start falling, all that's left is just to think... Maybe not.
From layed back and simplistic to over-the top with some cheese, this album is one hell of a ride. Fresh, groovy, clever, well rounded and with a mature style and production, this has to be one of the cream of the crop releases in my book. If you're looking for wannabe house music, then I suppose this isn't for you. Then again, Eraser and Yφjalka probably don't give a damn. From their first live act until now there has been constant evolution, a sharpening of a blade until it's razor sharp. These artists (note - I did not use "producers", I used a word that stresses creativity) started with a load of talent and now have the skills to match, giving one of those rare albums that truely stand out. Sure, it's a step away from the Finish madness, but it's a deep and clear vision of what music should be like, not of what others are doing. Bravo, well done, way to go, and most of all thank you. |
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