I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK:공중도둑 (MID-AIR THIEF)–“쇠사슬 (Ahhhh, These Chains!)” (2018).

At the end of every year publications and sites post year end lists.  I like to look at them to see if I missed any albums of significance.  But my favorite year end list comes from Lars Gottrich at NPR.  For the past ten years, Viking’s Choice has posted a list of obscure and often overlooked bands.  Gottrich also has one of the broadest tastes of anyone I know (myself included–he likes a lot of genres I don’t).  

Since I’m behind on my posts at the beginning of this year, I’m taking this opportunity to highlight the bands that he mentions on this year’s list.  I’m only listening to the one song unless I’m inspired to listen to more.

공중도둑 (Mid-Air Thief) is from Korea (obviously).  Beyond that, virtually nothing is known about him (Lars confirms that it is a he, even if many of the vocals are by Summer Soul–she is his guest singer).

Mid-Air Thief makes beautiful but weird, glitchy folk music.  Every time something really lovely seems to come along, there’s always some kind of twist to make it not what you think.  This, of course, keeps everything interesting and fun.  But despite that, the whole album is bright and cheerful.  There’s feelings of Dungen and Beck and even some Kishi Bashi.  There’s even a sense of the more psychedelic Flaming Lips songs (but without the over-loud low end).

It’s really great.

“쇠사슬,” which translates into the delightfully odd “Ahhhh, These Chains!” opens with a pretty, fast-picked guitar and delicate voices.  The song builds as electronic sounds are placed throughout adding tension but never overriding the pleasantness of the guitar and soft voices.  After a slight break into a “chorus” the song resumes almost doubled in sounds and power, but never losing that sweetness.

I love how the song seems like it’s going to end after around four minutes but it still has a bashing coda to show off before it finally ends at five minutes.

Bob Boilen has sent out a plea to Mid-Air Thief to do a Tiny Desk Concert, and boy I hope that happens.

Plus how great is Mid-Air Thief’s avatar (on the left).

[READ: January 6, 2019] “It’s All Over Now”

This story is about a young woman, living alone and fearful in a sketchy part of Mexico.

Tina Reyes is the single woman.  She boards a bus to visit her friend Rosa.  She hopes Rosa is all right–Rosa had looked tired last week. Tina thinks about Rosa with her husband and children and she grows rather sad and melancholy thinking about her own life and how she will never have anything like that.

Is her status a self-fulfilling prophecy or is she just sensible about the word around her?

As soon as she gets off the bus a man approaches her.  She is freaked out by his request:

Pardon me senorita, may I walk with you?

She is almost paralyzed as he told her he found her quite charming, but she was able to tell him to leave her alone.

She crossed street at a red light to try to get away from the man–nearly getting hit by a car. But he was soon beside her again saying that if they had a mutual friend they could be properly introduced.

She basically ran to Rosa’s house and arrived no worse for wear.  She told her all about the situation and Rosa teased he a bit by telling her how she did look quite nice today.  Tina spent a few minutes admiring herself in the mirror–she really was pretty–until Rosa teased her.

But that doesn’t mean she should be harassed and accosted like that.

Rosa changed the subject with wonderful news–she might be able to get Tina a better job, one that will take her out of the terrible neighborhood she lives in.

She was very pleased as she walked to the bus, but as she neared the corner, there was the man again… waiting for her.  She quickly climbed onto the bus.  When it turned sharply, she nearly fell.  A man helped her to her feet and egads… it was him.  It was like a horror movie.  Then she realized she had gotten on the wrong bus.

He said he was waiting for her and that it was destiny.

At that point she basically gave in to her destiny.  Her destiny was like that poor girl, Celia.  And this was how it started she realized.  He seemed so polite, but he was just waiting to take her somewhere and do any number of horrible things to her.  She imagined them all, And that’s when he made his move: May I invite you to a soda?”

She could not resist and gave in to her last meal.  They sat and talked and he bought her a second soda.  And she knew that this was always how it went in these situations.

There were no more buses when they were done so he hailed a cab.  And she knew that the cab driver was always the accomplice.  She gave him her address (why of why?) but she knew she would never see her house again.

And then they drove off.

I really enjoyed the way this was written and the palpable fear that Tina felt.  I also have to wonder how reliable Tina is through all of this.

Although I felt like the ending went a little haywire, I’m not sure what is supposed to have happened.

It was translated by Matthew Gleeson and Audrey Harris.