Cast your mind back to my earliest posts, when we built the foundations for what this playlist is about: people, achieving super-humans feats of existence on a daily basis.
Lyrically, Haunted hits this nail on the head: 9-5 / to stay alive. Ambition takes a back seat to the more pressing reality of surviving. And that takes serious strength to push through every single day, especially if it feels like the embers of a dream are dying in the process.
What I really love about this track, aside from the incredible vibe inspired by some stellar production, is that it arose from two people's frustrations with the peculiarities of the modern music industry. Probably won't make no money off this / oh well. The fact that something experimental in scope is considered so commercially invalid so as to actually be acknowledged in the lyrics should be a wake up call for all of us.
Because Haunted is truly a work of art.
For the most successful pop artist of a generation to throw this into the mix is remarkable. You know how much I love my soundscapes, and this track is no exception. Ethereal pads, expansive reverbs, distorted 808s (my new favourite thing), wrapped up in an arrangement that never stops to rest on one single vibe, instead progressing from abrasive hiphop, through slick latin-inspired grooves to finally culminate on in a rich saw-tooth symphony without ever seeming jarring or laboured.
Haunted is a welcome reminder that no one ever really 'makes it', where they arrive at a place where all the pain and anguish that is an integral part of the human condition is washed away on tide of fame and fortune. Knowing that struggle is inherent to any endeavour makes it that much easier to pursue a goal, because if you're going to have to work regardless of what you do, it might as be for something that you actually want.
Don't be Haunted by regret. Get out there and kick stuff!
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About the curator - Matt Jenko
Matt Jenko is a university postgraduate and music producer with an unhealthy obsession with Rick & Morty and all things Game of Thrones. When he’s not in the studio (a rare occurrence these days), he’s fueling his passion for music either on the net or out in the real world. He likes being out in the nature (in the least strenuous capacity though, let’s be real here) and chilling with his cat, and he’s also pretty proud of his mammoth collection of books that he’s never read.
Checkout Matt's project Ellipsis on Spotify and Facebook
Latest Posts
Rising from the Ashes – Sublab
9 April 2019
Sometimes situations call for a total reassessment. Sometimes, ‘having faith’ and ‘staying the course’ become synonymous with getting yourself stuck in a big ol’ rut. Even when your gut is screaming ‘yo bro this ain’t RIGHT my dude’, you just dig your heels in and plough on. You know best, after all…
Jewel – Flume
27 March 2019
The thing about works borne of pure creative passion is that they tend to take a lot to complete. This doesn’t just mean they take a lot of time (although time certainly accounts for a lot of the taking), they also take a lot of focused mental energy. This is the real sacrifice we have to make for our art…
Odd One Out – Yotto
19 February 2019
This week we’re going for a short and sweet entry, and I’ll just let the music do the talking – for once…
