“Former Terraformer,” the title track to Pain in the Yeahs’ new EP hits with a retro electronic post-punk aesthetic like James K. Ultra did some world building while writing the songs. In its distorted synths, driving rhythms, pounding percussion one imagines the dance club pop counterpart to Author & Punisher. But for a dance club set in a universe where Alien, The Terminator and Blade Runner somehow coexist, humanity has defeated the A.I. to colonize outer space and come to terms with hostile life forms and life can still be a bit of a grind because despite these strides in civilizational development the originating sin of crony capitalism has leaked into far future human endeavor. And thus the title of the song as though one could live long enough in this future scenario where being a terraformer was your prior avocation and now you’re burnt out and recognize that what you wanted out of this bizarre life of fake endless horizons and opportunity was a love that cut through that haze. And this song is a romantic ballad to that yearning. The chorus of “I need you, Candy/Candy do yo see me/I’m all fucked up this evening/I’m working hard, getting stronger/But the nights are getting longer.” And the opening line of “I could never turn my back on you even if I saw the worst in you/You that it’s true/Back on earth things are strange/I make money but I feel the same” speaks to this ennui and seeking meaning in career when it feels like you’re just going through the motions as part of some big, unfulfilling machine is not unlike how a lot of people feel now. It strikes at universal themes and like all science fiction conceits is a commentary on the present. Listen to “Former Terraformer” on Spotify and follow Pain in the Yeahs at the links below.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
You must be logged in to post a comment.