Written by Marilù Ciabattoni
Discovered via Musosoup
Skid Markz is Jean Rn’s latest, ultra-distorted EP featuring only four tracks that will take you on a chaotic journey through time and space. Although brief, the project is a wild ride, presenting different changes in pace, effects and, harmonies and melodies.
Although this is mostly a production-driven record, the spoken word still plays a role in driving the narrative forward, whether through the artist’s minimal singing or spoken segments taken from different places, whether that’s pop culture, movies, TV series, random conversations and so on.
Most lyrics here read as a stream of consciousness as we, the listeners, are left to figure it out on our own. Is the protagonist delirious? Is he talking to somebody? Is there a protagonist at all or are we just tricked to believe that?
“30th May 2022” opens the album in a chaotic fashion: after a softly sung section that heavily contrasts with the very aggressive production hammering in the background, the track becomes more evanescent and ambiguous as the speaker debates with himself on whether he “should stay” or not, as the audience is left to wonder… stay where?
And where is he headed towards? This and more questions will arise as we go through the other songs in the album. Repetition has a big role here, also helping with the musicality of the lines and creating this vortex the listener is simply dragged into.
“Song for C” is somehow catchier than the opening track, with echoed vocals and electronic effects in the background. The song presents just as many changes in pacing and rhythm as the first track: more dystopian sections are alternated to catchy beats and a creepy electronic voice singing in the background. At times, the song even becomes danceable.
The lyrics become unbearable at some point (“You'll never know I didn't care so I didn't know don't come back don't come back don't come back…”) as we hear the tired strolls of a guitar that signals the end of the track.
“Sure” is pretty much a wannabe metal track with its headbanging rhythm and electric guitars. However, it soon transforms into an electro track again. The juxtaposition of multiple effects over one another–so random yet calculated–is one thing I love, not only about the song but about the album as a whole.
Just like in the previous track, we hear an acoustic instrument at the end, which I believe is a guitar.
“Diarrhea”--which, ew–features the longest lyrics on the album, setting the scene in the fall, most specifically November. The speaker continues with his story as the instrumental is essentially exploding on our faces: random beats periodically reset the rhythm every few seconds; distortions make it hard for us to make sense of what the artist is saying. The overall feel is disorder and solitude, and that’s what I think Jean Rn is trying to convey with this project: utter chaos.
As mentioned before, the production absolutely carries on this record, but I also want to give credit to the artist’s vocals for fitting so well in the overall ensemble. I can’t wait to hear what Jean Rn will come up with next! This is just the beginning.
Discovered via https://app.musosoup.com #sustainablecurator