REM EMBER // THE WAITING ROOM SINGLE REVIEW

Written by Fred Carlyle

Photo Credit: Unjail.nerdish

Having released their debut single and today’s topic ‘The Waiting Room’ just back on the closing days of last month, REM EMBER (the brainchild project of uni mates-turned-musical duo Marcus Kech and Matty Yousa)  is as brand new as a project can be. So, really, it’s only fitting that the first offering of their discography sounds as equally fresh and alive. From the lyricism and instrumentals to the behind-the-scenes works of recording, mastering and the such, REM EMBER is entirely self produced by these two, thus this project seems to serve as a testament not only to Marcus and Matty’s experience within our city’s continually evolving music scene but also to these two’s studies of music production.

So what is ‘The Waiting Room’? Now that I’ve given you the who, what, when and all that jazz, let’s take a proper look into the track itself, what it offers and what it's all about.

In regards to this track’s overall atmosphere, the groundwork is instantly set within just the first three seconds of the song. To begin, ‘The Waiting Room’ gives us a flashbang of an introduction; an abrupt clashing of distorted drums enters the song as quickly as it leaves, leaving you little time to comprehend what just happened before you find yourself being washed over by the song’s mainstay soundscape of smooth, jazzy percussions, deep, hypnotic basslines and bossa nova style guitar melodies. This introduction’s quick transition from high energy to a smooth, calm inducing sequence provides us with a sharp contrast and sudden switch of moods like that of a movie scene where an asylum inmate is startled awake only to be sedated into a drug-induced calmness. 

You will find that the way in which this duo provides a stylish flare and an eerie undertone in equal measure is upkept as we find ourselves progress deeper into the song. You’ll come to find that the supposed calm energy of this mellow, percussion focused track continues to be intertwined with these subtle yet unsettling components- such as the use of reverberating vocals, sizzling ambiances and sentences spoken in reverse- that lurk at the shadows of ‘The Waiting Room’. The mysterious yet undoubtedly alluring energy that this song maintains is rounded out flawlessly by Marcus’ intimate and caressive vocals. The way in which the warmth of Marcus’ singing contradicts itself against the unsettling, sinister ambience of the track creates this stunning and mesmerising contrast that just completes the unsettling yet attractive atmosphere of the song so well, as though you’re placing the final piece of the jigsaw. For example, the song’s ear-worm of a refrain ‘when you’re in the waiting room’ has a conflicting evocation of simultaneously being comforting and disquieting. Its re-appearance throughout the track is like the center of a maze as, no matter how far you seem to get away with it you return to it, slightly comforted by its familiarity yet stricken with a feeling of hopeless despair. 

Photo Credit: Unjail.nerdish

Listening to this song, It feels as though you’re put in a scenario that, despite the seemingly calm and alluring nature of your environment, you can’t help but have the uneasy feeling in your gut that something is off or not right. It’s as though the smooth, charming nature of this song is an elaborate guise made up to cover something that’s much more sinister.  The whole dream-like feeling that this song provides is something in which I reckon the two creators of this song fully intended for. This I can confidently say… especially when you put the Twin Peaks Red Room visual aesthetic of the band into consideration. In fact, the whole combination of REM EMBER’S visual aesthetic (as in the red curtain and suit combo that fels straight out of a Red Room scene from Twin Peaks) and the jazzy yet supernatural feel of their sonics as displayed on this debut track feels like one massive love letter to the late director David Lynch. 

In regards to possible influences of sound and such; I personally find that this song utilises characteristics that one would find in dub and soul bands such as that of the works of New Zealand’s Fat Freddy’s Drop. For example, ‘The Waiting Room’ will wield technical elements such as echo and reverberation that, when applied to the soft, jazzy qualities of smooth percussions, hypnotic bass lines and caressive, intimate vocals, creates this mesmerising clash of spookiness meets seduction, thus evoking that Lynchian aesthetic of appearing mysterious, vague, threatening and yet irresistibly attractive.

For a project's first release, REM EMBER hit the ball straight out of the park with this one. 'The Waiting Room' succeeds in establishing the a world of sound that's full of vivid colours, character and refreshing style. This project seems to be one of those special cases where two friends not only shared a vision, they also managed to pull it off and bring that vision to life splendidly. So, yes, I'm more than keen to see what these two whip out next.

You can find REM EMBER on Spotify here

You can check out REM EMBER on Instagram here