Hello from your friendly DJ Rubix! (Long time no post, I know.)Â Thanks to the insanity of senior year, I haven’t had time to DJ full-time or write for the blog. However, I just reviewed “Glacier” by Teen Daze for KSPC’s ever-growing library, and the beauty of the album inspired me to dust off my tablet.
The piece you see above is my visual interpretation of the chillwave electronic music brought to us all the way from Abbotsford, B.C. I chose a long canvas to convey the vast atmosphere Teen Daze creates through his masterfully-combined synths and chilly sounds. After all, “Glacier” includes some of his most ambient, suggestive fare, created in a “state of repose” according to the album’s description.
While the work is intended to “manifest physicality,” I also feel it gives listeners greater insight into the intangible subconscious. As such, the faceless “everyman” figure on the left of my painting blends into the background, shrouded in light as he surveys the landscape.
Recently, I’ve been interested in the parallels between the topography of nature and the field of human psychology, and I portrayed this through the graph-like lines of the glaciers on the right. It seems impossible to fully comprehend either one of those expansive landscapes, but maybe we don’t have to; perhaps evoking and appreciating their sublime scale is enough, as Teen Daze does so well. Each track is drawn out across at least four and a half minutes: the ebbs, flows, and super-slow fades ensure that these songs feel organic despite their roots in computer manipulation.
As humans, we haven’t yet achieved perfect synthesis with our environment, but the Romantic in me thinks that approaching nature with an open mind may bring us closer to deeper understanding of the landscape and ourselves. Play the highlights for example, and even if you can’t make out the softly-intoned lyrics, you’re bound to feel something shift: (Concentrate on the subtleties of the sounds, and there’s a good chance that both your state of mind and your perception of your surroundings will transform.)
I listened to “Glacier” nonstop while painting this picture – probably about four times through! – and with each repeat, my appreciation grew. I hope you have a chance to check out the album, and that my artwork helps you to consider the music in a different light. Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for the next edition of Animated Albums!
Art and writing by Rachel.