Whilst most of us celebrated the passing of Old Year's by sharing kisses, a… Read Full Bio ↴Whilst most of us celebrated the passing of Old Year's by sharing kisses, and the clinking of champagne glasses, Black Atlass, stage name of 18 year old singer, songwriter and experimental producer Alex Fleming, was already beginning to churn the musical tides of 2012, when he released the visuals for his original composition, "Hills".

Native to the eclectically romantic city of Montreal, and now temporary resident in London, Ontario, Atlass brings the Old World charm of his home and infuses it with stark synth landscapes and enormously empty drums not only creating a name for himself, but also eradicating any notions of a specific genre. Coupled with his dreamy, intensely reverbed vocals and inventive melodies, this young maverick has fashioned quite a unique project few will be prepared for. It's something you have to hear to understand.

"The Black Atlass EP", his first EP released on Green United Music, is a six song teaser of things to come. Even in the relatively brief foray, lasting only 18 minutes, Altlass manages to create a plethora of different productions styles varying from the sample heavy banger "Ways", to the ethereal keys found cascading amidst the synthesizer wails of the Paris Interlude.
One of the most captivating aspects of this young artist can only be appreciated once you have witnessed him performing his special brand of crooning in person. Armed only with awkward personability and his MPD/computer combo, this troubadour sings while re-producing his beats live, to slay any notions of disbelief in regards to his talent. He even takes the process one step further when he records his music and plays each song's instrumental in real time drectly from his MPD. This means when you listen to his music, the instrumental backing you hear accompanying his vocals are not the result of quantized drum patterns and sequencing, but fined tuned precision and enviable musical ability.

Fusing his polarizingly different sound-scape with an undeniable musicality, Black Atlass is definitely an act to look out for in 2012. You should expect to see a couple interesting collaborations with some well-known Toronto area performers before the end of this year.

Something great this way comes.

http://www.blackatlass.com

Valentine
Black Atlass Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yo, yo
This is, uh, thank you for everything
A semicolon hovering where somewhere once was menacing
A soon to be continued that exists after the ending screen
The only I know that I would ever even wish to sing
When heat is blistering, you′re the ice thats glistening inside my cup of tea, which is also you,
Interesting,
Throughout all the seasons of this transition of winter spring

You've been here beside me with the sweet nothings you′re whispering
You're a loveable, angelic piece of perfect
And anything I do for you is worth it times a million and a half
We can sit and be resilient and laugh
And between the suddle compliments and billions of half kiss half hug moments we share
And I know it's unfair that we can only spend a few days here
But I′m yours, and I think that it′s clear
So forget about goodbye,
This is see you soon, my dear
'Cause I love you, and I′d like to spend forever
In the suddle warmth inside your arms like fireplace's ember
I′ll try my best to keep you by my side until the weather turns apocalyptic
And we end up drifting to the nether
But we'd still be wearing sweaters when we got there
′Cause we're both too way caught up all in our cuteness to care about hot air
And even if it burnt me alive, I'd have my cross hairs set up on your heart, make it art
′Cause why stop there?
I′d keep on creating for you until my final days
Dancing in the living room and smooching while the vinyl plays
I've been loosing track of the romantic shit I′m trying to say
But basically I love you and that's kinda gay
Imma stay by your side while I can
And keep your grip on my hand

′Cause we can both hear the compliments coming in from these pals of mine
I've been wondering if you would be my Valentine?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Black Atlass's song "Valentine" are a love letter to a significant other. Throughout the song, the singer expresses his deep love and appreciation for his partner, even in the face of challenges such as limited time together and potentially difficult weather conditions. The singer emphasizes the value he places on his relationship, claiming that anything he does for his partner is "worth it times a million and a half." He also muses on the possibility of spending forever with his partner and continuing to create art and memories together until the end of his days.

The song's imagery is striking and poetic, with examples like "a semicolon hovering where somewhere once was menacing" and "the subtle warmth inside your arms like fireplace's ember." The singer also playfully acknowledges the potential cheesiness of his romantic sentiments, joking that it's "kinda gay" to express his love so emphatically.

Overall, "Valentine" is a heartfelt ode to love and commitment, with lyrics that artfully describe the singer's deep affection for his significant other.

Line by Line Meaning

Yo, yo
Opening statement to catch attention

This is, uh, thank you for everything
Gratitude for the person the song is about

A semicolon hovering where somewhere once was menacing
The continuation of a sentence, instead of an ending, represents the continuation of the relationship

A soon to be continued that exists after the ending screen
The song represents the continuation of their love story beyond the song's end

The only I know that I would ever even wish to sing
The person the song is about is the only one they want to sing for

When heat is blistering, you′re the ice thats glistening inside my cup of tea, which is also you, Interesting,
The person the song is about provides a refreshing, unique perspective in their life that they cherish

Throughout all the seasons of this transition of winter spring
The person the song is about has been a constant presence throughout life's changes

You've been here beside me with the sweet nothings you′re whispering
The person the song is about has been a source of comfort and affection

You're a loveable, angelic piece of perfect
The person the song is about is viewed as an ideal, perfect partner

And anything I do for you is worth it times a million and a half
The person the song is about is valued beyond measure

We can sit and be resilient and laugh
The song expresses a desire for companionship through every experience, including the difficult ones

And between the suddle compliments and billions of half kiss half hug moments we share
The song references the sweet small moments between the couple

And I know it's unfair that we can only spend a few days here
The song acknowledges the finite time they have together but chooses to embrace it instead of focusing on the future

But I′m yours, and I think that it′s clear
The song asserts their commitment to and love for the person

So forget about goodbye,
The song avoids using a term associated with endings

This is see you soon, my dear
The song focuses on the potential for a future reunion

'Cause I love you, and I′d like to spend forever
The song expresses the desire for an eternal relationship with the person

In the suddle warmth inside your arms like fireplace's ember
The song creates a warm, comforting image of the relationship

I′ll try my best to keep you by my side until the weather turns apocalyptic
The song promises to fight for the relationship through difficult times

And we end up drifting to the nether
The song alludes to death without directly referencing it

But we'd still be wearing sweaters when we got there
The song references the couple's tendency to prioritize cuteness over practicality

′Cause we're both too way caught up all in our cuteness to care about hot air
The song emphasizes the couple's affectionate nature

And even if it burnt me alive, I'd have my cross hairs set up on your heart, make it art
The song expresses a willingness to endure discomfort for the sake of love and artistry

′Cause why stop there?
The song encourages surpassing expectations of love and creativity

I′d keep on creating for you until my final days
The song alludes to a lifelong devotion to the person

Dancing in the living room and smooching while the vinyl plays
The song references specific intimate moments shared between the couple

I've been loosing track of the romantic shit I′m trying to say
The song admits to struggling to communicate the depth of feelings

But basically I love you and that's kinda gay
The song uses levity to express the seriousness of love

Imma stay by your side while I can
The song once again emphasizes a commitment to the relationship

And keep your grip on my hand
The song expresses a desire for physical connection and closeness

′Cause we can both hear the compliments coming in from these pals of mine
The song acknowledges outside support for the relationship

I've been wondering if you would be my Valentine?
The song concludes with a request for the person to be their Valentine

Writer(s): Michael Costanzo, Joshua Hallbauer, William Rappaport, Alex Lagemann

Contributed by Alexis P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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