Credit: Raga Ayala
Words: Linn Branson
London-via-Wales artist Chloé Davis, aka twst, has been on the Little Indie radar since last year with her two stunning early tracks 'Girl On Your TV' and 'Always'.
She now drops ‘Are You Listening?', another track to come from from her imminent debut EP, ‘TWST0001’, released on June 12, via ‘Are You Listening? (hikikomori baby 0001)' visuals.
The stunning futuristic-pop track sees twst deliver vocally superb as always, with her trademark captivating style, while in the video she performs in front of a backdrop of visuals, images and footage that depict a sense of over-stimulation overload.
“With this video, I wanted to draw on the poignant events that humankind has experienced in the last year," she says. “I wanted it to feel overwhelming and anxiety-inducing, and for it to visually move at the same hectic pace that the song does. Each line refers to a variety of different problems that really fucking bother me - it's fake news, climate change, over consumption, internet addiction, misogyny - all part of an apocalyptic feeling that's kind of looming right now.
“Hikikomori baby comes from the Japanese social phenomenon known as ‘hikikomori' - a psychological condition where people shut themselves off from society, often staying in their houses for months on end. I can definitely relate to these feelings of isolation and wonder where the line blurs between a psychological condition, and what we just dismiss as modern, technology-based life.
“Of course, it seems all too relevant now - the pandemic has put almost the whole world into isolation, yet we are technically more connected than ever. I found this parallel pretty striking, as although we're still all at home and in extreme circumstances, the noise of technology and events doesn't stop. The narrative of the song deals with this overstimulation with a cripplingly lonely callout - am I actually being heard? Being noticed? Does what I care about matter? Do I make a difference at all with my views?”
We think twst is set to make all kinds of innovative differences over the next few years. Are you listening?
Cool track. Definitely felt the anxiety. Like the changes in texture and sound throught the song. The "chorus" section is a little underwhelming musically. It might be a creative choice (lone voice screaming out) but musically for the section its a bit thin (for my ears and they arent everyones). Thanks for this
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