Voran Voran – Baseballschlägerjahre
Listen, it’s out there! I don’t want to panic you any more than you are. But they’re inside a large hall lighted by giant candles, and they’re addressing each other using nonsense words like “dragon” or “master.”
They’re writing messages to each other on forums and predicting what the world is going to be. And, certainly, they are part of your town, school or workplace.
There’s a trap in thinking that extremism is just something that used to happen, something that only gets discussed in history documentaries. And, it’s also a mistake to throw the word around to anyone who is a jerk or treats people badly.
The truth is much more sinister, and the German group Voran Voran perfectly describes it in “Baseballschlägerjahre.” On the one hand, this is a sharp, well-performed alt-rock song, and the story of an attack by right-wing extremists. On the other hand, of course, it’s a song about the world in which we live. Direct and easy to enjoy, Voran Voran reminds you of one of the worst truths in the Western world: evil people will always find ways to create evil-filled groups.
Ancient Channels – Black Metals
Where would we be if we allowed our darkest fantasies to play out in our minds? The vast majority of us are scared enough by them that we chase them away. We call them “intrusive thoughts,” “bad dreams,” “dark omens.” We do the very best that we can to replace them. And, if we’re not able to do it on our own, we ask specialists to give us a hand.
Just what would happen if we’d let these dark fantasies play out until their logical conclusion? Maybe we’d learn something about ourselves, about the way that we are able to deal with a crisis. Even better, maybe we’d feel inclined to create something as potent and powerful as the music of Ancient Channels.
“Black Metals” is a song that echoes the dark psychedelia of groups like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or A Place to Bury Strangers. It’s melodic, but loud and distorted music that wraps around your imagination. The song is also the retelling of a dream, of a worst-case scenario, of the sort of thing that most of us avoid ever thinking about. Ancient Channels have tapped into something special here.
