Today’s Song: Alfa Mist Considers Ennui and the Downsides to Success on "Organic Rust" – Atwood Magazine

On his engaging single Organic Rust, Alfa Mist blends jazz and hip-hop to ask the burning question: Why is life still so hard?follow our Todays Song(s) playlist Stream: Organic Rust Alfa Mist

''Organic Rusts no-hook simplicity takes inspiration from the east coast explosion in the early 90s, but was born in the eastern reaches of modern London. This downbeat jazz meets hip-hop tune is made for watching the lights of The Shard from a distance, as yet another cloudy day in the capital passes. Soundtracked by rippling guitar effects and unusual chord changes, Alfa Mist ponders apathy and the price of success. After years of struggling, hes made it to where he wants to be: So why is life still so hard?

Alfa Mist is unapologetically bereft of grandeur on Organic Rust. He pops up a matter of seconds into the song, diving straight into the verse without pretension. His rapping keeps its belly low to the floor with tonal consistency, as the words drop neatly onto the beat. Each line is presented for inspection with no judgement. His delivery is clear; his words cut cleanly as he speaks openly. The music maintains its level throughout, meaning theres no key line, no gut-punching peak. Alfa Mist wants you to consider everything hes saying. Organic Rust isnt a song where youre waiting for sleep is the cousin of deathits to be taken as a whole.

Organic Rust is a scattered collection of thoughts. Alfa Mist works with contrasts to show how different his life has become. I used to have it rough, saw my plan erupt/Now Im on the settee playing 3 months of Soul Caliber. Even though hes beginning to do well, its still not enough. Its the furthest Ive even been but Im lagging behind/At the front of the queue for the back of the line. A lot of this song is introspective, however one real-life event leaps out early on. I dont wanna lose my drive so Im steering away/Plus I got a call saying that her periods late/So Im opening my calendar and clearing the dates.He needed to slow down anyway, but new responsibilities have made that decision for him. Alfa Mist discusses the balancing act of his life throughout this song. It seems like it could fall apart at any moment. He cant stop, so hes doing what everyone else is doing and just getting on with it.

Towards the end of the 2nd verse, Alfa Mist gets on a roll as his thoughts become more focused. He starts mentioning bigger ideas, ruminating on death and the battle in his mind between good and evil forces. The final line in the song is arguably the best When it all gives way and Ive had enough/I got a few words for the man above/When Im Organic Rust. Trust. He signs off calmly, with the assertion that hes going to give god a piece of his mind when this is all over. These final words make the verse stretch into the distance, as Alfa Mist considers his plans for eternity.

While they exist in separate genre palates, Alfa Mists vibe is next door to the morose wailing of King Krule, or the world-weariness of Ghostpoet. Occupying the same space as these contemporaries, his place in Londons rich musical landscape is supported and informed by his fellow artists. These musicians illustrate the quiet claustrophobia of living in the capital, expressing dark moods and observances that are all too familiar to many people. Alfa Mist, now on the verge of his 4th full-length release, deserves to be considered on the same pedestal as these artists.

The final half of the song is instrumental. It adds weight to the verses as they sink in. While the simple keys solo floats through the speakers, listeners can reflect on what theyve been told. Itd be easy to drop a third verse in this section, but that would dampen the impact of whats already been revealed. Alfa Mist has said what hes said, now its time to sit back and think on it. His vibe is quiet and thoughtful, though a little too direct to be considered cerebral. Hes not staring into space thinking about terraforming Mars: His mind is in the here and now, deliberating over the next step to take, in a world that is ready to push him back if he makes a mistake.

Organic Rust is about the frustration of starting to succeed in life, then realising you have the same problems as you did before, only now you get to deal with them in a nicer apartment.

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Today's Song: Alfa Mist Considers Ennui and the Downsides to Success on "Organic Rust" - Atwood Magazine