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.
The Bottom
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beaten, brought in,
I've gotten to the bottom
Sixteen, full of fright
Got brought in from the night
She is whispering in my ear
"Beaten, brought in,
I've gotten to the bottom"
I call her name inside the park
She can't see me, its too dark
I found out just why she whispered
At me, the microphone's sayin':
"Beaten, brought in,
I've gotten to the bottom"
Science!
Beaten, brought in,
I've gotten to the bottom (x8)
The lyrics to Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's song "The Bottom" strike a chord of desolation and fear, as the singer is beaten and brought to the bottom, only to be confronted by his greatest fears. The imagery created in these lyrics is one of a dark and foreboding world, as a young girl whispers in his ear and tells him of the horrors that await him. The repetition of the phrase "beaten, brought in, I've gotten to the bottom" drives home the sense of inevitability and hopelessness that the singer is feeling.
The chorus of the song, with its repeated cry of "Science!" adds an additional layer of meaning to the lyrics. Science, often seen as a rational and orderly discipline, becomes a catchphrase for the chaos and fear that the singer is facing. The song presents a bleak and nihilistic view of the world, where even science cannot provide a rational explanation for the horrors that human beings face.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Bottom" are a powerful and evocative expression of a sense of despair and hopelessness in the face of the darkness that surrounds us.
Line by Line Meaning
Beaten, brought in,
Arrived after being physically abused
I've gotten to the bottom
Reached the lowest point emotionally
Sixteen, full of fright
Nervous and scared, being only sixteen years old
Got brought in from the night
Was taken indoors after being outside in the dark
She is whispering in my ear
Someone is speaking softly into my ear
All of my greatest fears, she said:
Revealing my deepest anxieties
"Beaten, brought in,
Arrived after being physically abused
I've gotten to the bottom"
Reached the lowest point emotionally
I call her name inside the park
I shout a person's name in an outdoor area
She can't see me, its too dark
It is impossible to be seen due to the limited visibility
I found out just why she whispered
I learned the reason behind her soft voice
At me, the microphone's sayin':
The microphone is broadcasting
"Beaten, brought in,
Arrived after being physically abused
I've gotten to the bottom"
Reached the lowest point emotionally
Science!
A reference to science, possibly as a subject of study
Beaten, brought in,
Arrived after being physically abused
I've gotten to the bottom (x8)
Repeated statement of having reached the emotional rock bottom
Contributed by Layla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jimmy_James Jams_A_Lot
How can I support Ariel Pink now, if it’s indeed true that his label dropped him?! I’d love to buy his records, but I’ve known of many outfits online that seem to make their money from ripping off artists. With shows seeming to be a thing of the past, being supportive of musicians and other talented acts would seem more important now than ever before. To me, the services that they provide are essential. I truly hope that acts like Ariel Pink, whom I regard as a very talented recording artist and writer (either with or without a label behind him) will find ways to keep finding new listeners and go on inspiring people who are really in need of inspiration.
comicmischief97
I think his bandcamp? I'm pretty sure that goes to him.
Jae Morgan
someone plz make a 10 hr mix of this, completely in love
BALMAIN RICHARD
@Lee Saunders beaten, bought in, I've gotten to the bottom
Lee Saunders
@Jae Morgan she saysssss
Jae Morgan
@Bucciarati She's whispering in my ear, all of my greatest fears
sOwen B
2007 my sr year in high school and first post graduate summer I probably spent $200 on mushrooms 🍄 to bomb my cities hills on my fixed gear (suicide no breaks duh) and timed it each time while I was peeking to always play this song first 🚵🏽️🌇🎇🌆
It was a annual 4th July tradition after that for I believe 2008-2011(2)
ZOOHILL/ZOOBOMB 🎢💣
markrr99
hahahah
bklmsoul
fuck yeah
LiV
One of the my favorites from Ariel. Beautiful!