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.
Somewhere in Europe/Hotpink!
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it could be China to South Nicaragua
We drove here all night just for the weekend
Excuse me, sir, well, don't you speak any English?
Pardon my French but we're fucking lost here
Just point me to the west
Then we'd best, best be on the way
Here we're standing somewhere in London
It's all a mess lest we try and catch the metro
We'll take it into Baghdad, Spain then San Francisco
See the city spirals inwardly forever
Crack me like a slot machine, oh-oh
Just point me in the direction of Las Vegas
And I'll be going home, Europe's not home, no
Somewhere in Europe, far away from Montana
At the town hall masquerade show
Somewhere in Europe I get so razzed by you
Station-inert in a hostel in Soho
Somewhere in Europe I will find myself stranded
Just a-standin' there
U.S.A., I say home
U.S.A., I stay home
U.S.A., I say home
(Somewhere in Europe, it's good, it's good)
Go into the breakdown
Hotpink, gimme Jimi, hey
Gimme Jimi, hey, gimme Jimi, hey
Gimme Jimi, hey, gimme Jimi, hey
The lyrics to Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's song Somewhere in Europe/Hotpink! seem to be about a person or group of people who are traveling and feeling lost, both literally and figuratively. The singer mentions being in Europe, but it could be any foreign location that feels unfamiliar and confusing. The lyrics describe driving all night just for the weekend, which could suggest a spontaneous and perhaps ill-planned trip. The person then asks for directions but feels helpless and frustrated, wanting to just go home to the familiar surroundings of the USA.
The imagery in the lyrics is very vivid, with references to various locations such as London, Baghdad, Spain, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. The line "crack me like a slot machine" suggests a feeling of being out of control, unsure of what direction to take, and the desire to escape. The breakdown at the end of the song where the singer repeatedly asks for Jimi could be interpreted as a desire for something familiar and comforting when everything else feels foreign and confusing. Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of disorientation and longing for home in the midst of a foreign and chaotic environment.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we're standing somewhere in Europe
We are currently in a place within the continent of Europe
But it could be China to South Nicaragua
The exact location within Europe is unknown and could be mistaken for somewhere in Asia or Central America
We drove here all night just for the weekend
We made the long journey to this place with the intention of staying for the weekend only
Excuse me, sir, well, don't you speak any English?
Asking a person for assistance in English
Pardon my French but we're fucking lost here
Apologizing for the use of explicit language but admitting to being hopelessly lost
Just point me to the west
Asking for directions to the west
Then we'd best, best be on the way
Once given directions, it is time to depart
S'il vous plait
Please, in French
Here we're standing somewhere in London
We have moved to a place within London
It's all a mess lest we try and catch the metro
The area is chaotic and difficult to navigate without using the underground train system
We'll take it into Baghdad, Spain then San Francisco
We plan to take the metro train to different locations, including some that are not within Europe
See the city spirals inwardly forever
The city seems to have no end and is constantly drawing inward
Crack me like a slot machine, oh-oh
The city is overwhelming and confusing to navigate
Just point me in the direction of Las Vegas
Asking for directions to Las Vegas, where home is located
And I'll be going home, Europe's not home, no
Leaving Europe and returning to the United States, where home is located
Somewhere in Europe, far away from Montana
Currently in Europe, which is a far distance from Montana, USA
At the town hall masquerade show
Attending a masquerade ball or event at the local town hall
Somewhere in Europe I get so razzed by you
Feeling bothered, uncomfortable or anxious due to someone's company or presence in Europe
Station-inert in a hostel in Soho
Currently stationary and staying in a hostel within Soho, London
Somewhere in Europe I will find myself stranded
Feeling helpless and disconnected being stuck in an unknown place within Europe
Just a-standin' there
Simply standing still and waiting in a state of confusion and uncertainty
U.S.A., I say home
Expressing a desire to return to the United States, where home is located
U.S.A., I stay home
Preferring to stay within the US
U.S.A., I say home
Reiterating the desire to return to the US
(Somewhere in Europe, it's good, it's good)
Despite the confusion and uncertainty, everything is still acceptable or tolerable in Europe
Go into the breakdown
Transition to a different section or aspect of the song
Hotpink, gimme Jimi, hey
Asking for a specific style or music
Gimme Jimi, hey, gimme Jimi, hey
Repeating the request for a specific type of music
Gimme Jimi, hey, gimme Jimi, hey
Continuing to request for a specific type of music
Contributed by Grace A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.