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.
Hot Body Rub
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Right on down, huh!)
(Body rub, huh)
Hot tub! Ready for hot water
Hot tub! Get a disease
(Uh! Spread it in grease)
The lyrics of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's song Hot Body Rub appear to be a parody of the carefree hedonism that can sometimes be associated with hot tub culture. The opening lines, "Hot tub! Get into my hot tub" and "Hot tub! Ready for hot water" suggest the pleasure-seeking mindset of someone inviting others to join them in an indulgent experience. However, the line "Hot tub! Get a disease" subverts this enjoyment with the potential danger and consequences that can come with risky behavior.
The following line, "Uh! Spread it in grease," implies possible transmission of sexually transmitted diseases through unprotected and promiscuous behavior. The lyrics highlight the often reckless and careless behavior that can come with indulging in physical pleasures without adequate consideration for one's health and well-being.
Overall, the song's lyrics seem to serve as a commentary on modern-day decadence and ultimately warns against the potential consequences of living a life focused purely on pleasure-seeking.
Line by Line Meaning
Hot tub! Get into my hot tub
Join me in my hot tub and let's have some fun together.
(Right on down, huh!)
Come on down and get cozy with me.
(Body rub, huh)
Let's give each other body rubs and enjoy the sensation.
Hot tub! Ready for hot water
The hot tub is ready and waiting for us to fill it with hot water for a steamy experience.
Hot tub! Get a disease
Be careful, as hot tubs can be germ-ridden and potentially cause illness.
(Uh! Spread it in grease)
There's a risk of spreading disease if we're not careful and maintain proper hygiene standards.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ariel Marcus Rosenberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind