Turtle Skull – Apathy
The world’s retreating back into fantasy, and who can blame it? But it’s not any old fairy story that will do. Pop culture doesn’t have the habit of becoming fashionable unless it is really needed unless people really desire it to return. The regular course is to have new, trendy things simply come into focus. But this is not the case with the brilliant escapism of fantasy.
All across the world, billion-dollar companies are asking themselves why their pricey experiments with virtual and augmented reality have never quite panned out. Why aren’t people walking around with giant goggles strapped to their heads like the movies predicted that they would by 2024? And why are so many interested in fantasy lit and films, in tabletop role-playing games, and in music intent on convincing your mind you’ve travelled to one of those far-away lands?
A lot of people are interested, once again, in a fantasy that they can control, that is not endorsed or managed by a giant corporation. Turtle Skull’s “Apathy” is the sound of a D&D campaign set to music. The group operates on the strength of gigantic, menacing guitar riffs and contrasting, warm, retro-styled vocals. It’s the sound of menacing hippies with knives finally arriving on the shores of Australia. Even though the song is written against the dangers of social media, if bands like Turtle Skull are anything to go by, the virtual reality bubble is about to pop.
Xkaii – Arctic Animals
For some people, the very best part of the day is the one in which they’ve managed to forget all about the reality around them. That’s the reason why apps that provide guided meditations are so popular. That’s why the market is demanding video game graphics to get better or why fantasy novels continue to be so popular and are auctioned off for big movie studios to take a crack at them.
Maybe it is because the Western world has finally truly taken a shine on meditation and all the benefits it provides. But, more likely, it is because people in the world just couldn’t go on ignoring it. People don’t need to put their brains to sleep, but they do need to take their eye off the ball just enough to ensure that they don’t suffer some kind of internal combustion on account of all the pressure.
Xkaii’s interesting blend of soul, indie-pop and warm psych-rock sounds can act as your guided meditation. “Arctic Animals” is a journey toward the fantastical and into the unknown. But unlike, for example, stoner rock bands that promise similar visions, Xkaii’s music is led by a warm, friendly voice that could’ve been making pop records. Instead, it’s out in the wilderness of your mind, directing you far from your everyday worries.
