TranscendNoise

100. Childish Gambino – This Is America There is a scene in Atlanta´s second season that has rapper Paperboi walking through his neighborhood until he gets stopped by a few young men that recognize him and approach him in the unusual sight of a known rapper taking a walk. In a matter of seconds, a comical scene turns uncanny, silences are traded, glances turn menacing and with the shove off a drink the men start beating on Paperboi and after a (still somehow comical) exchange of jabs our protagonist runs off into the woods for a surreal and anxiety filled “lost in the woods” psychosis. In the same way, Murai and Glover created this scene brimming with stark reality and a keen eye for cramming fame, violence and vulgarity into one, Childish Gambino graced us with “This Is America” before the start of summer. The song is as much a visual essay as it is a collection of sonic cultures that represent as a snap-shot of current politics and discussions. And it is all done by the weirdn...

30. ANOHNI – Hopelessness A drone attack leaving behind a girl wishing for death. The world burning as a cause of climate change, leaving the animals suffering and dead. The state of surveillance, being a happy reality of watching the watchers. Claiming to be a progressive western state, while still killing in the name of justice. Losing your love for it was something that only brought you pain. The leader everybody placed his hopes in, who couldn´t, for the life of him, change the unchangeable. The undercurrent of a world dominated by men being in turn dominated by bloodshed and Darwinist ideals. Losing your connection to the world you live in, mourning the death of your life-world. The effects of fighting alleged terrorism by acts of terrorism yourself, violence leading to acts against the violators. You yourself are the problem, the virus. Hello Americanism, disease without cure. If you´re dealing with music most of the time, you might run low on reading the news and ge...

10. The Hotelier – Soft Animal // Settle The Scar ( Goodness ) “Soft Animal” is a heartwarming moment of realization, facing the nature of mortality and learning about the ongoing cycles of existence. While it can be understood apart from the album, it is the literal successor of “Opening Mail for My Grandmother” and sees the singer Christian Holden reencounter his dead grandmother as a newly born doe. This moment of realization goes as far as believing in some notion of a God and being talked down by others, who cannot share such spiritual meaning. Regardless of one’s own standpoint, the serene nature of the verses and the exploding chorus of this song build a powerful dynamic, almost serving as a repercussion of such an encounter and the inner upheaval and revolution it can bring. Lifting this experience even higher is the band´s complete lack of any elements that allude to darkening of mind, representing a balanced sensibility of knowledge and centering yourself in the way of a...