aldn Explores the Life Span of a Relationship in 'the end'
Photo: Dillon Edlin
Artist, producer, and DJ aldn has graced fans with a new project titled the end. The EP is an immersive effort that chronicles a relationship from beginning to end and reimagines sounds once popularized by the alt-rock and electro scenes in the 2010s and then again with the advent of hyperpop and digicore. And true to the EP's cover creative, the multi-instrumentalist wrote and executive produced the project in his New York apartment.
"This EP is more than what it is at face value," shares aldn. "I don't usually like to explain my music so that the listeners can make their own interpretations from it—but the overarching theme is a relationship from beginning to end. A culmination of the last few months of my life condensed into eight songs. There's much more to these songs than some might think, you just have to listen."
The eight-track body of work starts with the cerebral "golden promise." On the opening track, aldn struggles with determining whether or not the person he's with likes him and worries about scaring them away. Amid a blend of retro-futuristic beats, synths, and percussion, he admits he's falling quickly for this person and hopes they don't bring out the worst in him. His journey through his complicated emotions continues in the following track, "end of the night," where he opens up that despite his feelings, he might not be able to commit due to past trauma that currently makes it hard to trust people. On the whimsically gloomy chorus, he asks, "What's the catch? / Are you just gonna lеave me hanging / When you find another guy who's more your type?" "buffalo '66," a personal favorite, is an enthralling effort that mirrors the plot of the classic 1998 film of the same name. With captivating sonics and mellow vocals, aldn and his lover embark on an odyssey back to his hometown and discover that they can't be apart despite their tumultuous circumstances.
"pressure (with chloe moriondo)" is a bedroom pop gem about heartache featuring bedroom-pop darling chloe moriondo. The duo easily plays into each other's strengths, creating a unique sound that falls between the two indie artists' usual genre neighborhoods. aldn's moody mid-range captures the dwelling presence of the lyrics, while Moriondo's ethereal voice spins them on an introspective escapade Their lyrics muse over the anxieties of a new love, "You know you want her, but never could decide / is it torture? Is it slaughter?" All the while, aldn ties the vocals together with a glitchy production flair, fringing "pressure" with an edge of grit.
Other standout tracks include the effervescent "why do you fight," the genre-melding Passion Pit and Crystal Castles-evoking "sub 32," and the glitchy earworm "headstrong gunner." The latter of the three blends elements of alt-rock and nightcore, creating an infectious dance-inducing and uptempo track that dives headfirst into themes of betrayal, death, and self-induced abandonment. aldn plays the narrator, omnisciently watching a meek heart be consumed by paranoia. Both the voice of reason and an incessant taunting, it's hard to tell whether or not aldn is on his own side, though his ruthless honesty is a wake-up call for anyone blissfully blind in love.
The EP's closer, "hate me," is a dreamy, kaleidoscopic finale that sees aldn come to terms with his mortality, suicidal intrusive thoughts, and potential demise. He sings, "When this is ovеr I'ma fuckin' fill my brain up with lead / I said, 'Just keep it down it's way too loud' / Can't hear the thoughts in my head," telling us that no one will find his body because it's "as cold as a ghost."
the end is a sonic embodiment of aldn's craft maturing in real time. Continuing to revolutionize and grow beyond his hyperpop foundation, it feels like there's no end to the self-taught producer and artist's potential.
Listen to the end below:
