Ariel Pink (born Ariel Marcus Rosenberg on June 24, 1978) is a Los Angeles … Read Full Bio ↴Ariel Pink (born Ariel Marcus Rosenberg on June 24, 1978) is a Los Angeles based experimental/pop musician. Pink boasts a cult following and endorsements from more widely known artists such as fellow founding Paw Tracks group Animal Collective.

After years of recording in relative seclusion in the hills of Los Angeles, Ariel Pink (the first non-Animal Collective member on the Paw Tracks roster) made his official Paw Tracks debut with The Doldrums. Recording at home with a guitar, bass, keyboard, and 8-track (the drum sounds were created with his mouth).

Ariel Pink blends Lite FM and warped lo-fi pop into something by turns beautiful and confusing. Some may find his personal yet detached approach highly addictive, while others may be instantly turned off by the obvious lo-fi production and the vocal drumtracks.

In the summer of 2003, Pink passed a CD-R on to New York based band Animal Collective after being introduced by mutual friend Jimi Hey (of All Night Radio and Beachwood Sparks) at one of their shows. Unbeknownst to Pink, Animal Collective had recently started their own record label, Paw Tracks, and several weeks later they contacted him expressing an interest in releasing his music. Pink became the first musician on the label aside from the members of Animal Collective. The next year, the label reissued The Doldrums, an album which had been originally recorded in 1999. Since then, Paw Tracks (now co-owned by Carpark Records) has released two other reissues of Pink's previous recordings, Worn Copy and House Arrest.

Pink has gradually caught the attention of media sources around the United States as well as internationally. As most of his albums are self-made, many of them have never been heard by fans. Almost all of Pink's albums which have been commercially released come from his yet-unfinished "Haunted Graffiti" series and are thus the best known.

Pink's tours have generally been met with much negativity, primarily because his music was never intended to be performed live for commercial audiences. As he explained to LA Weekly:
“People boo me everywhere...They don't even hide their contempt. I'm used to it now...Hey, I'm giving audiences the real thing...For better or worse, I'm out there, and those are the circumstances. People don't like it when it seems like you don't know what's happening, or I'm getting bummed out with certain aspects and I can't hide it. I think people feel that pain and just think it's bad.”

Initially playing shows alone with pre-recorded music, Pink has since employed the efforts of keyboardist Kenny Gilmore, bassist Tim Koh (White Magic), drummer Jimi Hey, and guitarist Cole M. Greif-Neill (Ethnik Klensr) as Haunted Graffiti. However, even with a backing band unfamiliar audiences are generally hostile towards the unrehearsed nature of the live compositions.

In July, the band embarked on Pink's "Thanks Mom, I'm Dead" tour.

One genre that may interestingly define Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is one known as Hauntology.

Ghost Town
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Unh!
Ghost town.
Hey!
get in. I'll take you for a ride
----
----

I'm livin' in a ghost town (x2)

Ahhh!
----
----

I'm livin' in a ghost town (x2)
----
----

He has an uncle but..
(I've heard you say it)

Ow.
Ow.
What?
What the fuck is that?
(It's a ghost!)
Ow.
Ow.
Ow!
Hey! Hey!

Unh!
----

[Talking]
all is clear. outside the door..
she was.. not interesting

but i.. looked beyond, saw her face
inside.. outside

Overall Meaning

The song "Ghost Town" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is a haunting and eerie track that portrays the singer's feeling of being isolated and lonely in a deserted place. The singer invites someone to join him for a ride, but it feels like he's talking to himself, as no one seems to be around. This feeling of isolation adds to the overall ambiance of the song, which is further emphasized by the use of distorted vocals and a sparse instrumental accompaniment. The repetitive chorus "I'm livin' in a ghost town" underscores the song's theme of desolation and abandonment, as the singer feels like he's living in an empty place with no life.

The lyrics of this song are minimalist but powerful, creating a sense of disorienting emptiness that stays with the listener long after the song is over. The use of repetition in the chorus is particularly effective in creating a sense of unease and despair. The lyrics also contain a spoken-word interlude, where the singer talks about seeing someone's face and looking beyond the surface. This adds a layer of mystery and depth to the song, as it's unclear who the singer is talking about or what exactly he's trying to convey.

Line by Line Meaning

Ghost town.
The song starts with Ariel Pink announcing that he lives in a ghost town

get in. I'll take you for a ride
Ariel Pink invites the listener to join him on a ride around the ghost town

I'm livin' in a ghost town (x2)
Ariel Pink emphasizes the fact that he lives in a ghost town by repeating the line twice

He has an uncle but.. (I've heard you say it)
A mysterious voice interrupts Ariel Pink to ask about his uncle, which doesn't seem to have any relevance to the song

What? What the fuck is that? (It's a ghost!) Ow. Ow. Ow! Hey! Hey!
Ariel Pink gets scared by a ghost and starts shouting and making strange noises

all is clear. outside the door.. she was.. not interesting but i.. looked beyond, saw her face inside.. outside
Ariel Pink describes a woman he met outside and how he found her uninteresting at first, but then discovered something deeper about her by looking beyond her appearance

Contributed by Ellie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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