Since the age of 16, Kai Gundelach has been a fixture in Oslo's renowned cl… Read Full Bio ↴Since the age of 16, Kai Gundelach has been a fixture in Oslo's renowned club scene, first as an underage space disco enthusiast with a knack for getting past doormen and later as a DJ warming up for some of his teenage heroes. Kai's true musical ambitions, however, lie in writing introspective and honest pop songs, a craft he honed alone in his bedroom while earning a living playing records. Kai began to share his songs under the moniker Gundelach in late 2014, which led to him being handpicked by Say Lou Lou to support on their album tour, along with the release of his first track "Alone In The Night" in Norway and Sweden. The track now has over 1.4 million streams on Spotify.

After sending demos to Joel Ford (Autre Ne Veut, Oneohtrix Point Never, Cyril Hahn), the two began a collaboration and recorded Gundelach's debut EP in New York alongside Al Carlson (Ariel Pink, Tim Hecker, Neil Young). The first single from the EP, "Spiders" went into heavy rotation on Norwegian radio P3 as well as grabbing #1 on Hype Machine, being played regularly on BBC1 and getting attention from Pharrell Williams on his Beats1 show. Gundelach’s intricate electronics overlaid with wispy vocals and pulsating beats, have since earned him “ones to watch in 2016” status from Spotify, TIDAL and NRK P3.

Control
Gundelach Lyrics

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I feel the pressure now and then
I think I lost control again
I see the sad, sad look in your eyes
Confusion when it comes to me
Afraid of all this agony
I'm running deep, deep inside of wounds

You don't know how it feels to be alone

You don't know, you don't know
How it feels to be alone

I feel the pressure now and then
I think I lost control again
I see the sad, sad look in your eyes
Illusion gets the best of me
I see things through the tapestry
You tell me please get back into bed

You don't know how it feels to be alone
You don't know, you don't know
How it feels to be alone
You don't know how it feels to be alone
You don't know, you don't know
How it feels to be alone

When it started out, cold under the bed
Yeah you know, and all I tried was to figure it out
Oh I know you're waiting for me
When it started out, cold under the bed
Yeah you know, and all I tried was to figure it out
And I know you're waiting for me
When it started out, cold under the bed
Yeah you know, and all I tried was to figure it out

When it started out, cold under the bed
Yeah you know, and all I tried was to figure it out

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Gundelach's song "Control" depicts someone struggling to keep control over their thoughts and emotions. The opening lines, "I feel the pressure now and then, I think I lost control again" suggest that the singer occasionally loses control and feels overwhelmed by their inner turmoil. This is further manifested in the lines "Illusion gets the best of me, I see things through the tapestry," which shows that the singer may be struggling with some form of a mental condition that causes them to perceive things that aren't there.

The singer appears to be in a relationship, as evidenced in the lines "I see the sad, sad look in your eyes, confusion when it comes to me, afraid of all this agony." Perhaps, they fear that their struggles might end up driving their partner away. The lines "You don't know how it feels to be alone, you don't know, you don't know, how it feels to be alone" further highlights the singer's fear of losing their loved ones due to their mental struggles. The song's overall message seems to be that it's okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes, and it's okay to seek help.

Line by Line Meaning

I feel the pressure now and then
I experience anxiety at times

I think I lost control again
I feel powerless over my situation

I see the sad, sad look in your eyes
I notice the expression of sadness on your face

Confusion when it comes to me
I feel disoriented regarding myself

Afraid of all this agony
I fear the emotional pain I am going through

I'm running deep, deep inside of wounds
I am dealing with internal struggles and trauma

You don't know how it feels to be alone
You cannot understand the feeling of isolation

Illusion gets the best of me
I get deceived by my own perceptions

I see things through the tapestry
I perceive situations in a distorted manner

You tell me please get back into bed
You request me to return to a state of rest

When it started out, cold under the bed
Recalling a past traumatic memory