A hauntingly atmospheric foray into dark electronic territory, “Tunnels” is an enveloping track from Budapest-based producer KOLETT. Incorporating raw field recordings captured during a daily commute, the single brilliantly pairs gritty underground textures with an environmental consciousness, transforming a subterranean subway ride into a poignant metaphor for ongoing artistic and mental struggles.
“I wrote these lyrics while commuting, so I wanted to bring that exact feeling into the track,” KOLETT explains. “I recorded the sound of an approaching subway train and let it set the mood for the whole song. It’s basically the sound of the city meeting my own headspace.”
The track’s riveting, haunting soundscape sends chills right away, melding a buzzing ambience with ghostly vocal processions. The vague and subdued vocal delivery floats with ethereal, free-flowing prowess amidst the woozy, industrial electronic tone, then maneuvering into a whispered vocal layer: “No more lights, no more stops / Just the sound of iron drops.” The descriptions of this commuter experience echo a state of stagnation as KOLETT’s vocals continue, depicting how “there is no way of turning back” amidst visceral “heavy air, a concrete chest” equivalence to a subway car.
The equivalency of this shadowy, subway underpass to creative struggles is artfully accomplished. “I am the seed beneath the stone, growing in the dark, alone,” the vocals carry through the rumbling field recordings and simmering electronic resonance, framing oneself as an evident participant on this journey, looking beyond the superficial facade of the urban hustle, and into the complexities of physical and mental transit spaces. “Tunnels” is a heady, ominously atmospheric tour-de-force from KOLETT.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
