Establishing the mood with intricately glitched synths and vocalizations, Rayo Sónico (translating from Spanish as: Sonic Beam) opens Playstation with dimensionality and a cerebral bassline as we are immersed in a high-octane, hyperpop universe.
We appreciate the detail-oriented production which keeps us captivated throughout. The lyrics are super relatable, and would be perfect for a multitude of sync placements, perhaps an episode of Elite on Netflix. Rayo Sónico tells us that the track is intended to capture “the essence of navigating relationships that resemble a multiplayer game, where emotions lag behind the fast-paced digital interactions.”
He specifies, “Playstation came from a feeling that a lot of people in my generation understand: being emotionally disconnected but digitally present. The song was inspired by those moments when you’re online, scrolling, watching stories, responding to notifications – but emotionally you’re AFK. You’re technically there, but not really present. I was thinking about how relationships today sometimes feel like a multiplayer game. People log in and log out of each other’s lives, conversations pause, feelings respawn, and sometimes you don’t know if someone is playing with you or against you.”
The vocal design is masterful, the bass drops punctuate the track perfectly, whilst the astral synths that emerge send us to another realm for the finale. We connect with the chord progressions which tap into our heart centre at the same time as evoking a sense of wonderment at the sheer brilliance of the production. We learn that Rayo Sónico, from Chihuahua, Mexico, wanted to design a sonic landscape that “mirrors the complexities of emotional latency in the digital age.”
His intention was to create a track that “feels like navigating through a virtual environment.” This absolutely comes to life with Playstation, it taps into elements of nostalgia with the concept whilst being highly futuristic in its execution.
The composer adds, “The production process was a deliberate departure from traditional pop, focusing on building a collage of digital fragments inspired by early PlayStation graphics.” He also cites Saramalacara, Orslok, and Hatsune Miku as sonic influences, which we can feel manifest with the energy and even the artwork, but there is no doubt that Rayo Sónico is bringing to life a vision unto his own design.
We deeply appreciate Rayo Sónico‘s exploration between humanity and technology with notions of emotional transformation in the digital age, and will be adding Playstation to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream Rayo Sónico‘s wider discography including the entirety of his album, Negative World.