… Read Full Bio ↴Will Wiesenfeld AKA Baths was born in 1989, in Los Angeles, California.
Wiesenfield is a classically trained musician, and began learning the piano at the age of four “to compete with his brother”. By twelve he had “completely abandoned it,” but continual musical experimenting lead him to record his first piece of music at age fourteen. Under a previous moniker, [Post-foetus], he wrote four albums and three EPs. He also ventured into a more ambient style with side-project Geotic, a project which Irish magazine State.ie called “gorgeous”.
After adopting the name Baths, he released debut album Cerulean on independent record label Anticon. He recorded the entire album in two months from his bedroom. The BBC’s Mike Diver claims Baths’ nearest musical sound-a-like is chillwave musician Toro Y Moi. Pitchfork noted Baths’ influences, acts such as Björk and Flying Lotus, were “obvious” in his work.
Drowned in Sound noted Baths’ use of “unorthodox” sounds layered in and around the electronics, in particular “clicking pens, vocal samples, rustling blankets and scissor snaps”. British newspaper The Guardian’s Paul Lester commented he was reminded of “J Dilla playing around with the Pavement and Prince catalogues” while listening to the album. While a lot of his music is instrumental, it can occasionally incorporate vocals, most of them falsetto.
Cerulean was listed by the AV Club as the 21st best album of 2010. It made Pitchfork’s Album of the Year: Honorable Mention list.
Stupor
Baths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
don't get in a stupor
if she loves you, she's your buddy too
your heart swells easy
don't be afraid, so do all of ours
The lyrics of Baths's song Stupor seem to be a warning against becoming overly obsessed or fixated on a romantic relationship. The first line, "although the woman may cause it," suggests that the temptation to become completely consumed by love is common, but the following line, "don't get in a stupor," encourages the listener to resist this urge. The lyrics go on to suggest that a healthy, fulfilling relationship is one where the love is mutual and the partners are also friends: "if she loves you, she's your buddy too." The phrase "your heart swells easy" suggests that the feeling of love is natural and wonderful, and the line "don't be afraid, so do all of ours" suggests that everyone experiences this feeling, so there is nothing to be afraid of. Overall, the lyrics of Stupor seem to be encouraging the listener to pursue love and connection, but to do so in a healthy, balanced way that doesn't lead to obsession or heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
although the woman may cause it
Even though your relationship with a woman may lead to distress,
don't get in a stupor
resist the urge to become numb to the pain or reality of the situation,
if she loves you, she's your buddy too
remember that if she truly cares for you, she can also be your friend and confidante,
your heart swells easy
you are capable of strong emotions and your heart may be easily touched,
don't be afraid, so do all of ours
do not fear vulnerability as it is a shared experience among all humans,
Contributed by Layla M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.