Darkness. A physicality bleeding into a metaphor that plagues the hearts of every man, woman, and child in the most troubling of times. A seemingly harmless concept that has the ability to leech itself into every facet and crevice of the world as we know it. How can we adapt to such an intangible embrace? With great difficulty, we take it by the helm. Steer it, mold it, fashion it into a display of our triumph over the very antagonism it manifests from. We create from it a light of positivity. The very same it seeks to distract us from. That, the very essence of it, is why music has the power to change our mood and attitude with a flick of a switch.
As a craft, we do it for ourselves. We do it to overcome our own personal adversities and find peace of mind within ourselves and those around us. Take this Epoch remix of Benin City, for example. Say what you must, but that song depicts more dark emotion and transcended inner demons than most of us are capable of handling, let alone understanding.
At face value, a masterful display of crafted sub-bass and vocal handling likened to that of Burial and Four Tet. Structured in such a way that separates it from the formulated songs of its time. Beneath the amazing production is an artist catering to himself through self-expression. An artists who, in reality, had to listen to this track countless times before finding what translated best. Now, we're not claiming to understand what goes on in Epoch's head. He might even read this and think, "m8 c'mon really? It's just a tune". Sorry man, you've got feels. Regardless, Epoch's Darker Road remix of "Long Way Home" isn't a tune to carouse about with. No. Take this display of emotion to reflect upon your own. A fertive sonic mirror to the soul.
As far as the rest of the EP goes, Benin City chose Epoch well, for his sound aligns well with their sonic ethos. Representing the uplifting side of this grand metaphor, the leading track "BUS" resembles the properly manipulated darkness and the positive light we turn our troubles into. Rich with enlightened motive, the acoustic bass line paired with chirping plucks compliments the playful lyrics while simultaneously maintaining semblances of the reimagined darkness.
If you couldn't tell by now, we really like Benin City's Midnight Malarky EP. Give it a listen and show them some love. They know what they're doing and they're doing it well.
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