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.
Helen
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't really tell
Where are you, Helen?
Helen, you say that it's you
Please tell me the truth
That you're not Helen, Helen
Gone on Monday morning
Helen, come back soon
Gone on Monday morning
You left me
Gone on Monday morning
You left your hearts
Helen, staring so long
Please tell me right now
That you're not Helen
Helen, why did you go?
Ages ago we were in Heaven
Helen
Helen where are you
Gone on Monday morning
Helen come back soon
Gone on Monday morning
You left me
Gone on Monday morning
You left your hearts
Ooh, lonely for you (x4)
Helen
Helen, who is this girl?
I'm still in dark
But you're not Helen
Helen, twelve days ago
Since you went home
It feels like Heaven
Helen
Helen
Helen
Helen, where are you?
Gone on Monday morning
Helen, come back soon
Gone on Monday morning
You left me
Gone on Monday morning
You left your hearts
Ooh, lonely for you (x4)
Helen, where are you?
Gone on Monday morning
Helen, come back soon
Gone on Monday morning
You left me
Gone on Monday morning
You left your hearts
Ooh (x4)
The lyrics to "Helen" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti are written in the form of a conversation between the singer and a woman named Helen who has gone missing. He is trying to find her and is unsure if the person he is speaking to is actually Helen or not. The repetition of the question "Helen, where are you?" indicates the singer's desperation and confusion about her disappearance. He is dealing with feelings of loneliness, longing, and heartbreak that can be heard in the repetition of "lonely for you."
The lyrics also suggest a possible romantic history between the singer and Helen when he says, "Ages ago we were in Heaven." This statement implies that their relationship was once perfect, happy and full of love, but that time has passed, and it's now unclear what's happened between them. The song uses Helen as a metaphor for the elusive nature of love, with her disappearance representing the difficulties of maintaining a successful romantic relationship. Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of confusion and desperation in trying to find something or someone that's lost or gone astray.
Line by Line Meaning
Helen, are you still there?
Questioning the existence of a person named Helen
I can't really tell
Uncertainty of the presence of Helen
Where are you, Helen?
Questioning the location of Helen
Helen, you say that it's you
Confirming the identity of Helen based on what she said
Please tell me the truth
Requesting honesty from Helen
That you're not Helen, Helen
Doubting the authenticity of the identity given by Helen
Helen, where are you?
Questioning the location of Helen
Gone on Monday morning
Helen has left on Monday morning
Helen, come back soon
Asking Helen to return soon
You left me
Expressing feelings of abandonment
You left your hearts
Theoretical idea that Helen abandoned her love
Helen, staring so long
Noticing that Helen has been gazing for a long time
Please tell me right now
Urging Helen to communicate accurately immediately
That you're not Helen
Continuing to express suspicion of the identity given by Helen
Helen, why did you go?
Questioning the motive for Helen's departure
Ages ago we were in Heaven
Referencing a happy and harmonious time spent with Helen
Helen
Directly addressing the subject of the song
Gone on Monday morning
Reiterating the fact that Helen departed on Monday morning
Helen where are you
Repeating the question about the location of Helen
Ooh, lonely for you (x4)
Expressing sadness and missing Helen
Helen, who is this girl?
Curiosity about another girl brought up by Helen
I'm still in dark
Not having information or awareness of the unknown girl
But you're not Helen
Acknowledging that the unknown girl is not Helen
Helen, twelve days ago
Counting the number of days since Helen's departure
Since you went home
Implying that Helen has returned to her origin
It feels like Heaven
Expressing happiness and enjoyment when Helen was around
Helen
The focus of the song
Gone on Monday morning
Reiterating the time of Helen's departure
Ooh (x4)
Vocalization conveying emotions of loneliness, yearning, or sadness
Contributed by Layla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
António Gil
Can you share more of this stuff?So great...!!!
נעם
Beautiful!
bsalop
With the godfather of home recording, RSM!!!
Sounds From Saturn
and it's time for Ariel black!
Passive Income Band
Is that John Maus on keyboards?
EmegopsForever
yes they went to college together maybe even roomed together. possibly dropped out together too can't remember
Robert Moore
so bloody bright, bubby
EmegopsForever
1:08 ariel stink
Nathan Arizona
all my favorite people on one stage 8D
Jason isamu
U're guitar is slick