Drawing us in with a cinematic guitar soundscape featuring cerebral notions, motko opens old with cinematic allure and thought-provoking, introspective prose. The opus expands with drama and textured drums to take us on a dark-wave-meet-alternative-rock journey.
We appreciate the metaphorical depth of the prose and the poetic prowess that motko delivers. Fans of The Smashing Pumpkins and Placebo will absolutely be able to connect with what motko is delivering. He also cites QOTSA, Failure, Nirvana, Radiohead, Tigercub, and Elbow as sonic influences.
The existential concepts are visceral and relatable, and the artist tells us, “old is about the fear of growing old mentally – not in years, but quietly calcifying: bitter, closed off, certain.” It’s actually highly zeitgeist and a reflection of what happens to a lot of people when they age. It’s a poignant reminder for us to hold on to the mindset and voice of our inner child.
motko shares that old started as a song that unsettled him before he fully understood why. It intentionally explores his biggest fear, and rather than avoiding that, he confronts it, creating a slow, heavy reflection on the feeling of “a massive stone grown around my heart.”
We learn that motko is the solo project of Shorty. He is a musician who spent years playing in bands like Millhouse, Symbiosis, and IONS before launching a solo career. Today also marks the announcement of his cinematic nine-track album, home, set for release soon, which he describes “moves slowly and on purpose”. We could definitely imagine old being featured in a film like The Father, Relic, or The Substance. He also describes the record as “movies for your ears”.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added old to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we await the entirety of motko‘s album, home. old is also available on Bandcamp.