So, in the (probably) last part of the "AeTrees Presenting..." series this year, I am going to present perhaps the least known act among those thus far presented, a Galway (Ireland) native, currently residing in London, The Bedroom, otherwise known as Olan Stephens. This young unsigned artist, calling his project "audio visual", makes some interesting music, accompanied by rather gloomy and weird visuals, and this year he has released his debut record – "The Graveyard of Ambition" EP. Later on I will give a short review of it, but beforehand I will try to present The Bedroom. And his motto is "too school for cool". Hmm, I just felt you should know that...
Olan Stephens was the lead singer and guitarist in what seems to have been a rather prominent and critically acclaimed indie rock/math rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, named Eatenbybears. They had put out several EPs and had some devoted fans, but in 2013, after a prolonged silence, officially announced their split. Three of the members formed a new band, and their former frontman Olan moved on as a solo artist, starting up his project, called The Bedroom. He later moved to London to pursue his career. Already in spring 2013 Stephens divulged his first song as The Bedroom, called "Basquiat", named after a neo-expressivist painter from New York, Jean Michel Basquiat. The song itself showed no traces of indie rock but, honestly, it's hard to describe. Nevertheless it was met by rather harsh criticism at the time. Then he went on to deliver "The Big Up" and "Disconnect". Each of the songs received some weird video, all of them showing Olan and occasionally (in the middle of the songs mentioned) other people wearing creepy and simple white plastic animal masks, notably that of a cow, a tiger and a pig. And in the "Basquiat" video the artist posed with a simple sheet of paper on his face with projections of a creepy painting imposed on it. One cannot deny the effect of such art. It enhanced the simple yet sad message of the songs. Whilst finalising his debut release, The Bedroom performed in several venues both in England and Nortern Ireland, also in his native country. Live his set is realised using effect pedals, an electric guitar and a laptop, sometimes with help from drummer Michael Speers. What the future holds for this marvellous artist is yet unknown, but his creativity is fascinating. The originality and emotional effect of his music is undeniable.
So, now I will shortly overview his EP, titled tragically "The Graveyard of Ambition". It is comprised of five song – the three that I've already shortly mentioned and two others. The records starts with "The Big Up" – a rather strange electronic take, characterised by a loop of a trumpet sound and Olan trying to sing on top of it, then comes the emphatic beat. "Is this exactly what you want?" – sort of ironically says the singer. Some pop cheerfullness, opposed to existentialist lyrics. Then it goes all big with toms being banged and overall excitement over the top. "This might be where you're supposed to go" – at least some live-reaffirming message... Some guitar even. "You want it aaaaall, you wanted ooooout" – chants Olan along the lines of the trumpet sample. Track number two is "Basquiat", that, according to its author, is about a man, desperately trying to become one of the paintings of Jean Michel Basquiat. Hmm, who can deny originality for this guy? The song frantically runs between moments of pop safety, like a club, and creepy insanity, with piano chords being hit and weird samples being throwed in. "Waiting around, waiting to be found... Like Basquiat. Like Basquiat" – Stephens keeps repeating. Sort of a cold despair of an outsider, trying to become someone, nevermind that it's impossible (to be a painting of a famous painter...). The tragic notion, that lies beneath, becomes even more evident on my personal favourite, "Birthday Cake". It was the first song by The Bedroom I've heard. Why? Because when I first discovered this artist, via Bandcamp, the song with such a straightforward tittle seems the best choice, ha. But, oh no, it's far from being a happy song. "It's a painful day, the one you realise that you're wasting away" – sadly mumbles the musician. The beat is one of the best and the glitchy on and off dynamics that are intrinsic for the song, are wonderful. It seems like the whole song can crumble like the birthday cake in question, being sticked together from pieces and various ingredients, yet somehow stays in place, defying gravity, some trumpets appear again, sounding even sadder, in contrast to the topic of a birthday that makes you feel shit. The fourth song is the already mentioned "Disconnect", delivering an even more straightforward message of despair and absurdity, that lays the foundation of our being in this world, it starts with some clancky percussion, giving hints of minimalism a la Steve Reich or some southern melodies, however quickly comes the deep bass and jarring percussion. The chorus is a very literal take on the title: the percussion and bass, and the beat is buried somewhere deep beneath the surface. Like some Kantian "thing-in-itself", it goes away before you extend your hand to touch it, while some broken machine clicks in and out repetitevily, and Olan emotionally says: "It's like I can't believe, what's happened or what's happening to me – so I disconnect". Such themes are not a rarity in art and music, but not everyone can make it so sincere. The part before the end is a frightening and gloomy sea of agony and despair. This theatric nightmare. Alas, who can present such a straightforward and undeniable message without sounding cheesy? The last song is the anxiety –ridden and strangled "My Everything". It comes closer with ambience besides the fire, and then states its truths with a beat, and the part, when the artist says, sounding honestly tormented "I want to know why, why I can't breath... why I can't breath, what about my energy?" Hard to listen and not fall into utter existential depression. But I like sad songs, come on, who needs art at all if not to pinpoint the things that really are sad and tragic in our being in this world? I think, honest people feel that way, and do not avoid the sadness they have, however sad it might seem to blinded optimists that rule this world and listen to cheerful sassy and empty music. Overall, the EP is very interesting and just wonderful, mixing things that remind me of R'n'B, techno, hip-hop, ambient and so on, it manages to stay on its path, eschewing easy ways to impress for a lasting effect it ultimately makes.
Good things: the uniqueness of the music and art, honest lyrics.
Bad things: the way that the artist never fully explains what do all the visuals and imagery (animals masks and upside down video) mean, while it's surely interesting, the lyrics in "Disconnect" say "as if my life was just a game", well, in my opinion, it is so, because all our lives is just a game.
The Bedroom:
http://thisisthebedroom.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thisisthebedroom
https://twitter.com/thebedroom_
https://thisisthebedroom.bandcamp.com/
Come on, be nice and buy "The Graveyard of Ambition" on Bandcamp:
https://thisisthebedroom.bandcamp.com/
Videos by The Bedroom:
