Prior to forming The Midnight, Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan were both established musicians. Lyle was an indie-folk singer-songwriter based in the state of Georgia and gained initial notability with several self-released titles, becoming regionally and nationally known. McEwan was a drummer and producer based in Denmark, later becoming a member of the Danish production group Deekay who has written and produced songs for many popular artists.
The pair met for the first time in 2012 at a songwriter’s workshop in North Hollywood organized by Katie Donovan, Lyle’s A&R representative at the time. Prior to meeting, McEwan had listened to some of Lyle’s previous work and liked Lyle’s folk sound. Despite differing musical backgrounds, they bonded over a mutual love of 80s rock and began to write songs together. After initially struggling to define their sound, McEwan suggested that they compose songs in the synthwave style. McEwan had prior exposure to the burgeoning genre and was inspired by the movie Drive. The first song they wrote together as a duo was WeMoveForward, which was included on their debut EP Days of Thunder.
STYLE AND WORKFLOW
For most of their career, The Midnight has created a strong and distinct synthwave sound in their music - Tim McEwan once described the band's early albums “as if Miami Vice had a baby with a John Hughes movie”. However, McEwan has continuously expressed a desire to evolve the synthwave genre and not be confined by it. Tyler Lyle has stated several times that the band's philosophy when composing is “combine, not confine”. Influences of genres such as lo-fi, soft rock, trance, and vaporwave can be heard on Monsters, and Lyle's musical background has brought influences of indie folk and Americana to the band's sound as well. Regarding the merging of their individual talents and styles, Lyle has said:
It’s rock and roll with synthesizers. Tim has a keen ear for production, and I can write songs that fit comfortably within the tradition of 20th century classic pop songwriting. Somewhere in the middle things get interesting.
McEwan employs various digital synths in his production, including Serum, Diva, TAL-U-NO-LX, Spire, and Roland Cloud's Jupiter 8 and Juno 106. In mid-2020, he mentioned that his favorite synth to use at the time was U-He's emulation of Prophet-5, known as Repro 5. McEwan has stated that he commonly begins with presets and then tweaks them to his liking. KONTAKT is used for sampling.
Both McEwan and Lyle use Logic Pro on macOS as their primary Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).Universal Audio interfaces are used to capture their sounds, which are then processed using UAD plugins. Using the same utilities makes it easier for them to share session files as a significant amount of their work is done remotely, due to living in different areas of the US. However, they will usually get together in the same room a few times during a release's production and will often write and record together while on tour. A release's sound and overall direction are generally created by the two bouncing ideas off each other - McEwan will send Lyle a rough track or beat, which Lyle will then think of lyrics and a title that would go good with the beat, after which McEwan will further build and produce the track. McEwan has stated that the production of a typical The Midnight album takes around three to six months, “from the early gestating part to finish”.
Production and drums are handled by McEwan, with Lyle providing guitar, lyrics, and vocals. Lyle has stated that he writes on a daily basis, and many lyrics come from a large number of fragments he keeps stored in Evernote. Most of the remaining instrumentation is digital, but on occasion songs (including most with saxophone and guitar solos) will at first have digital instruments that are then outsourced to other musicians to play live on the track. Thomas Edinger has been the primary saxophone player for The Midnight's releases, and McEwan's brother Oliver has frequently played bass for the band as well.
For live performances, various setups have been used by the band. Lyle stated that the Spring 2019 tour utilized an Ableton rig, with McEwan using an SPD SX sampling pad and MIDI controller. Lyle ran his guitars through a Kemper profiling amp, and he also used an OP1 for certain synth moments and pads.
Crystalline
The Midnight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On an uptown train
Doors open
As she walks in
She's soaking
Caught in the rain
Her skin shines
Crystalline
Eyes meet
You know where this goes
Her keys in
They take off their clothes
They're soaking
Caught in a dream
Her skin shines like
Crystalline
The problem with believers
They'll let anyone in the door
The problem with deceivers
Is all the bodies buried under the floor boards
Sailors knew sirens would sing
From rocks off the cliffs by the sea
The monsters with waiting teeth
Their skin shines
Crystalline
Rush hour
On an uptown train
Doors open
As she walks in
She's soaking
Caught in the rain
Her skin shines
Crystalline
The Midnight's "Crystalline" is a sensual and mysterious song that tells a story of a chance encounter on a rainy day. The song begins with the setting of rush hour on an uptown train and a woman who walks in, soaked in the rain with her skin shining like Crystalline. The singer's eyes meet hers, and they both know where this goes. They get off the train, and as she opens her door, they take off their clothes, soaked in a dream. Her shining skin accentuates the passion and ecstasy of the moment.
The lyrics take a dark turn in the bridge, where the problem with believers and deceivers are both highlighted. The lines "The problem with believers, they'll let anyone in the door. The problem with deceivers is all the bodies buried under the floorboards" portray the hypocritical nature of people who claim to be virtuous and moral but hide their sinister motives behind closed doors. The song ends where it began, describing how sirens used to sing from rocks off the cliffs while sailors traveled the seas. The monsters with waiting teeth that the sailors feared become a metaphor for the human desires that drive these characters.
The music video for this song also emphasizes the sensuality of the lyrics. It shows a couple indulging in their passions in a dimly lit room, with their silhouettes moving to the music. This song has a slow and steady rhythm that complements the lyrics' mood, making it the perfect song for a romantic evening or a self-care night.
Line by Line Meaning
Rush hour
The busiest time of the day in public transportation
On an uptown train
On a train heading in the direction away from the city
Doors open
The train doors slide apart
As she walks in
A woman enters the train
She's soaking
The woman is wet from the rain outside
Caught in the rain
The woman was outside when it rained
Her skin shines
The woman's skin is illuminated
Crystalline
Her skin is reflective and gives the impression of being made of crystals
Eyes meet
The woman and a man lock eyes
You know where this goes
The man and the woman both know they will have sex
Her keys in
The woman inserts her keys into a door lock
They take off their clothes
The couple gets undressed
They're soaking
They are wet from the rain, and possibly from sweat and other bodily fluids during sex
Caught in a dream
The couple is in a euphoric or surreal state of mind
Her skin shines like
The woman's skin has a similar luminous quality as before
Crystalline
The woman's skin is still reflective and glowing
The problem with believers
People who have faith are too trusting
They'll let anyone in the door
Believers are too forgiving and welcoming to others without exercising proper judgement
The problem with deceivers
People who lie or manipulate others
Is all the bodies buried under the floor boards
Deceivers have hidden the evidence of their crimes or terrible behavior under the surface
Sailors knew sirens would sing
Mariners were aware that mythical creatures called sirens would use their seductive voices to lure them towards danger
From rocks off the cliffs by the sea
The sirens would perch on rocks near the water, waiting for their prey
The monsters with waiting teeth
The sirens were dangerous creatures that wanted to hurt or kill people
Their skin shines
The sirens have a similar luminous quality as the woman earlier in the song
Crystalline
The sirens' skin is reflective and alluring, just like the woman on the train
Writer(s): Jamison Tyler Lyle, Tim Mcewan
Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hugh G. Rekshun
Rush hour
On an uptown train
Doors open
As she walks in
She’s soaking
Caught in the rain
Her skin shines
Crystalline
Eyes meet
You know where this goes
Her keys in
They take off their clothes
They’re soaking
Caught in a dream
Her skin shines like
Crystalline
The problem with believers
They’ll let anyone in the door
The problem with deceivers
Is all the bodies buried under the floor boards
Sailors knew sirens would sing
From rocks off the cliffs by the sea
The monsters with waiting teeth
Their skin shines
Crystalline
Rush hour
On an uptown train
Doors open
As she walks in
She’s soaking
Caught in the rain
Her skin shines
Crystalline
NewRetroWave
The Midnight are back with a superb new single! These guys are set to take over the scene I tell ya. lol. The track oozes greatness. Listen up and enjoy! :)
OUT NOW!
https://themidnight.bandcamp.com/track/crystalline
Alexander Erdélyi
NewRetroWave yeeeeeeeaaaaaa :)
valentine ramirez
They've already taken over! I went to the ad show with fm84 ams the midnight. More energy than most Concerts. Sold the Fuck out
RJ Zalva
NewRetroWave, heard the ambient sample of the in the air tonight drums then two epic fills from that gorgeous Phil Collins song. Love this modern retro wave!
MicMan
Is this from an album?
Marius Engel Jensen
Hi. Crystalline is the first single taken from the upcoming 'Nacturnal' EP that will be released on October 13!. :)
ToysofArkham
I pity the people who are missing out on this genre
Retrogamer71
Yes I am surprised that here in the UK the major radio stations don't yet run a New Retro Wave Show in their schedules. It would help to sell the music too.
alias music
there's no such thing as mainstream or underground, there's only good or bad music. the ear doesn't discriminate so don't restrict your taste to what you 'allow' yourself to like and what not. nice song btw
Castlevaniac1
alias music Mainstream music must appeal to a lot of people, therefore it can't go too much in a certain direction. there is less experimentation and less decisions from the musician himself. For a lot of people to like it, it needs to be "dumbed down", and follow a certain trend that is hot at that moment. So there is a BIG difference between mainstream and "underground" music, the latter being free from such things, and being more unique because of it