How The Subtheory Turned Information Overload Into a Punk-Electronic Manifesto
Punk Head: The track pulls from punk, hip hop, and trip hop. Did those influences arrive naturally, or were you consciously trying to build a hybrid sound?
The Subtheory: They’re never really conscious influences, just genres we grew up with, music that has remained a constant for us. I don’t think it’s ever been something where we’ve thought “let’s try to sound like Massive Attack” or something like that, it’s always been quite natural and organic. Basically we just make music from the heart and if it happens to be informed by a ton of cool bands than great!
Punk Head: You describe the song as someone trying to make sense of the world in real time. How much editing did you actually do before recording it?
The Subtheory: The track really flowed with very little editing, if any. I had the beat going round in my head for a days before putting it down in it’s basic form then more or less recorded the vocals in one day. I didn’t want to edit it too much as I wanted it to feel raw. The emotions are raw and true so didn’t want to diminish that immediacy by polishing it. Not that there’s anything wrong with applying a bit of polish to something but this very much felt like opening up my brain and spilling the contents for all to see, right or wrong. Judge me if you like but it’s how I felt in that moment. Keep your filters for instagram, ha ha.
Punk Head: Your quote describes the song as the inside of someone's head after scrolling through the world for too long. Do you think social media has fundamentally changed the way people process reality, or has it simply amplified tendencies that were already there?
The Subtheory: I do think we are living through strange times where everyone has a platform and voice except we don’t really. It’s an illusion and we’re all shouting into the void. The world is in a state of Hypernormalisation as per the brilliant Adam Curtis documentary. We have created this artificial world to exist in and we all know it’s not real but we accept it anyway as it’s easier than dealing with the complexities of the real world. We’ve been shaped and manipulated by external forces in the same way mice in labs run mazes. The effect of this is to, as you say, amplify everything that’s already there.
Punk Head: There's a sense throughout the press release that attention itself has become contested territory. What do you think is competing hardest for our attention right now, and what gets lost in that competition?
The Subtheory: I think authenticity gets lost, it’s hard to be your true self when everything feels gamified. It’s all about how many likes you get, how many streams, how much clout do you have? We’ve lost the value of experiences for their own sake. It all has to be turned into a photo or video for other people’s/strangers approval. Do things for yourself. It’s your own life, not someone else’s.
Punk Head: The phrase "still paying attention" feels crucial. Despite the anger and exhaustion, there seems to be a refusal to disengage. Why was it important for the song to retain that sense of vigilance?
The Subtheory: I still have hope for us, I’m an eternal optimist. The first stage is being aware of the games being played, then collectively learn to stop playing them. It’s a conscious thought, a conscious intent. We just need to rise from unconsciousness. I believe we can do it though.
Punk Head: Looking back at the finished song, what surprised you most about what emerged when you started documenting everything that was demanding your attention?
The Subtheory: I was amazed at how quickly and willingly we sleepwalked into this. It didn’t happen overnight and not without our unknowing consent. After recording it, I took a walk out into the countryside and stopped still. It was amazing how different the world seems when you hear birds singing, wind gently blowing the trees and you focus on your breathing. Which makes me sound like a hippy I know, but there is a world away from the craziness of screens and traffic, etc. We just have to remember it’s there.
