By Tarx Alexander
Let’s face it. There is an over abundance of bands and so-called bands gracing the digital air waves these days. Our short attention spans cannot navigate thoroughly through the exponential growth of our music libraries. So why would I even bother pointing you in the direction of yet another band that you’ve never heard of? For the same reason you shared a photo of your breakfast or your child’s latest milestone. Because I want to and because I can.
The Untitled is a two-man band that began their musical journey in the early part of 2007. Fueled with disgruntled animosity towards relationships and religion, what began as a method of therapeutic healing moved towards the broader landscape of political tyranny and the decay of a civilized world. I could go deeper into how they forged the path from self-pity to a soldier of the common man, but all that matters for this article is their latest album, Eminent.
Recorded in 2009 over the course of a weekend, Eminent explores the observations of a visitor from outside our world. Imagine if you will, an alien race discovers our planet and sends a lone explorer to investigate and report its findings. This album acts as a metaphor to that report.
As with most stories, it makes sense to read from the beginning to the end in chronological order. This is true for Eminent, at least upon the first listen. Bare in mind, this is not a Top 40 sound or a million dollar polished production. It’s raw, it’s the garage recording of the digital era, but it’s powerful and it wants to matter.
This is a nine-track album that is best enjoyed with a pair of headphones and 45 minutes of undivided attention. The style is a mixture of electronic pulses and acoustic waves; the vocals are raw and searing with hints of android like intentions. I want to break these tracks down one by one, but I also want you to explore this album on your own and draw your own conclusions and paint your own perceptions. I believe that is the purpose of this album, at least for me. To open my mind to different possibilities and to not take things as they always appear on the surface.
Let’s face it. There is an over abundance of bands and so-called bands gracing the digital air waves these days. Our short attention spans cannot navigate thoroughly through the exponential growth of our music libraries. So why would I even bother pointing you in the direction of yet another band that you’ve never heard of? For the same reason you shared a photo of your breakfast or your child’s latest milestone. Because I want to and because I can.
The Untitled is a two-man band that began their musical journey in the early part of 2007. Fueled with disgruntled animosity towards relationships and religion, what began as a method of therapeutic healing moved towards the broader landscape of political tyranny and the decay of a civilized world. I could go deeper into how they forged the path from self-pity to a soldier of the common man, but all that matters for this article is their latest album, Eminent.
Recorded in 2009 over the course of a weekend, Eminent explores the observations of a visitor from outside our world. Imagine if you will, an alien race discovers our planet and sends a lone explorer to investigate and report its findings. This album acts as a metaphor to that report.
As with most stories, it makes sense to read from the beginning to the end in chronological order. This is true for Eminent, at least upon the first listen. Bare in mind, this is not a Top 40 sound or a million dollar polished production. It’s raw, it’s the garage recording of the digital era, but it’s powerful and it wants to matter.
This is a nine-track album that is best enjoyed with a pair of headphones and 45 minutes of undivided attention. The style is a mixture of electronic pulses and acoustic waves; the vocals are raw and searing with hints of android like intentions. I want to break these tracks down one by one, but I also want you to explore this album on your own and draw your own conclusions and paint your own perceptions. I believe that is the purpose of this album, at least for me. To open my mind to different possibilities and to not take things as they always appear on the surface.
The following is my breakdown of each track (in chronological order):
1. Pareidolia
It’s a fitting title. A word that describes a psychological phenomenon where we take vague and random patterns and turn them into something of significance. This ambient track sets the tone for the rest of the album and begs the question, “Is the entire purpose of this album to trick us into finding an importance that is not there?”
It’s a fitting title. A word that describes a psychological phenomenon where we take vague and random patterns and turn them into something of significance. This ambient track sets the tone for the rest of the album and begs the question, “Is the entire purpose of this album to trick us into finding an importance that is not there?”
2. Myasthenia Gravis
Another clever play on words where the title describes the effects of extreme fatigue and weakness. It’s a trip hop jazz fusion style track that seems to describe a codependent relationship between man and machine. With the opening line, ‘I can’t breathe on my own/plug me in, feed my clone,’ one gets the feeling we are being mocked by our willful need to interact with our machines in order to feel alive.
Another clever play on words where the title describes the effects of extreme fatigue and weakness. It’s a trip hop jazz fusion style track that seems to describe a codependent relationship between man and machine. With the opening line, ‘I can’t breathe on my own/plug me in, feed my clone,’ one gets the feeling we are being mocked by our willful need to interact with our machines in order to feel alive.
3. Schedule IV
The first of a few acoustic tracks, this song pulls you down a straight line with the promise of a complete circle. Structurally, it’s quite masterful in its delivery. In the context, we are dealing with another dependency. This time, with pharmaceuticals. A quick Wikipedia check on schedule iv controlled substances will give you a pretty clear picture on the types of dependencies they are referencing. Xanax, Ambien and Tramadol, just to name a few.
The first of a few acoustic tracks, this song pulls you down a straight line with the promise of a complete circle. Structurally, it’s quite masterful in its delivery. In the context, we are dealing with another dependency. This time, with pharmaceuticals. A quick Wikipedia check on schedule iv controlled substances will give you a pretty clear picture on the types of dependencies they are referencing. Xanax, Ambien and Tramadol, just to name a few.
4. A Different Shade of Power
Likely one of my favorite tracks and easily the most politically driven track on the entire album. The title is pretty straightforward. In the time of the United States accepting it’s first non Caucasian (let’s face reality in that nobody is clear on his ethnicity, so it’s easier to consider him a non-Caucasian) as its president, we were delivered speeches of hope and change but as the song states, ‘shit’s just rearranged behind a different hue.’
Likely one of my favorite tracks and easily the most politically driven track on the entire album. The title is pretty straightforward. In the time of the United States accepting it’s first non Caucasian (let’s face reality in that nobody is clear on his ethnicity, so it’s easier to consider him a non-Caucasian) as its president, we were delivered speeches of hope and change but as the song states, ‘shit’s just rearranged behind a different hue.’
5. You Belong To Me
Another acoustic track, this time a cover of what I thought was a Bob Dylan song, but as it turns out, the song was originally written in 1958 by Pee Wee King, Chilton Price and Redd Stewart. The Dylan cover was featured in the movie, Natural Born Killers. This haunting and cleverly placed version of the song takes some creative liberties with an additional verse added at the end of the song. On the surface, when you hear the song, it sounds like a romantic plea from one lover to another that no matter where they are, or how great their distance, they belong to each other. But in the context of this album, the song seems to take on different meaning. I often imagine a spy drone flying over a barren sea towards the shores of America…
Another acoustic track, this time a cover of what I thought was a Bob Dylan song, but as it turns out, the song was originally written in 1958 by Pee Wee King, Chilton Price and Redd Stewart. The Dylan cover was featured in the movie, Natural Born Killers. This haunting and cleverly placed version of the song takes some creative liberties with an additional verse added at the end of the song. On the surface, when you hear the song, it sounds like a romantic plea from one lover to another that no matter where they are, or how great their distance, they belong to each other. But in the context of this album, the song seems to take on different meaning. I often imagine a spy drone flying over a barren sea towards the shores of America…
6. (un)Fair Witness
This almost feels like a follow up or continuation track to Myasthenia. The title is borrowed from the Fair Witness profession in the book, Stranger in a Strange Land. This is a track you can almost dance to, at the very least you may experience some involuntary head bobbing while a condescending tone mocks us all for ‘logging our daily fictions while we’re dying on the inside.’ And let’s face it; most of us do not lead the exciting lives we portray online. Unfair indeed.
This almost feels like a follow up or continuation track to Myasthenia. The title is borrowed from the Fair Witness profession in the book, Stranger in a Strange Land. This is a track you can almost dance to, at the very least you may experience some involuntary head bobbing while a condescending tone mocks us all for ‘logging our daily fictions while we’re dying on the inside.’ And let’s face it; most of us do not lead the exciting lives we portray online. Unfair indeed.
7. Free Bird
An acoustic cover of the song originally done by (do I even need to tell you?) Lynard Skynard. Most of us know the original as an iconic, in your face rock song from the 70's. This version peels away the confidence of that sound and leaves us with a trembling, monotonic reflection of a delusional person and their claim to freedom.
An acoustic cover of the song originally done by (do I even need to tell you?) Lynard Skynard. Most of us know the original as an iconic, in your face rock song from the 70's. This version peels away the confidence of that sound and leaves us with a trembling, monotonic reflection of a delusional person and their claim to freedom.
8. Soul Rise
A ballad of sorts. It sways between a feeling of hopelessness and the acceptance of a bitter world to a 'we are in the shit but we are in the shit together' attitude. This is a track that grows on you and by the time it does it feels like you were always in love with it.
A ballad of sorts. It sways between a feeling of hopelessness and the acceptance of a bitter world to a 'we are in the shit but we are in the shit together' attitude. This is a track that grows on you and by the time it does it feels like you were always in love with it.
9. Society
This is a cover, rather than an interpretation, of the song originally performed by Eddie Vedder on the 'Into the Wild' soundtrack. It’s a fair cover of the original and a very fitting conclusion to the journey of this album. After all, everything we are doing, everything we are fighting for and trying for takes place within the confines of the structure we call Society.
This is a cover, rather than an interpretation, of the song originally performed by Eddie Vedder on the 'Into the Wild' soundtrack. It’s a fair cover of the original and a very fitting conclusion to the journey of this album. After all, everything we are doing, everything we are fighting for and trying for takes place within the confines of the structure we call Society.
This album is what I enjoy about the openness of the Internet. With enough digging and a healthy dose of open mindedness you may come across a sincere voice that speaks on behalf of a generation. I encourage the listening and sharing of albums like this. Despite any shortcomings in quality, the message is the real treasure to be found with this album. And what exactly is the message? I think it’s open for interpretation. But my take away is that if an outsider were to observe our world, I would not fear the observer coming back to destroy us. I would sleep comfortably knowing that he or she reported that we were not a threat to them and an unworthy opponent, because we are fully capable of destroying ourselves. | |