To many, music is a journey of emotion; a journey brimming with elements intricately placed in a (hopefully) well-designed manner. Drawing from whatever thought/inspiration is floating around in their mind, a truly skilled artist is capable of creating elements that speak to the listener in his or her own manner, and connecting with their own past experiences. One such track that I would classify in the above fashion is Dream Koala's "Odyssey", in which this Berlin-residing producer serenades the listener with majestic qualities. Luring us in with a suave, yet delicate, piano line that is reminiscent of The XX, Dream Koala coaxes us even further into a dreamlike state with somewhat somber vocals. Once lulled into this fall sense of security, "Odyssey" transforms itself into a more vivid state with a quicker pulsating tempo, and more "agitated" synths. And with its last few seconds, we're gently sent off with purposeful piano strokes. Totaling just over 6 minutes long, "Odyssey" forces us to be introspective while guiding us with a purpose.
Helping us to understand this track, Dream Koala states that "This track is inspired by a dream I had where I died in a plane crash. "Odyssey" comes from the travels of Ulysse – his fear of never coming back home & never reaching his ambitions. It's a track about deception and the fear of death, the fear of never accomplishing your goals." In a sense, "Odyssey" is a perfect interpretation of the journey to death — we live everyday with a carefree thinking that there will be another day to accomplish what we want, until one moment the possibility death is knocking on our door. What then? Are we rejoicing over what we did in our lifetime, or are we thinking of the "what-if"s and the "what could have been"s? As you contemplate that, just know that "Odyssey" is due out on his upcoming EP set for release on September 23rd.
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