Emmannuel & The Unlimited Consciousness, the brainchild of New York based Emma Anne Johnson shares the atmospheric and hypnotic new single ‘DAYDREAM’.
Build around a wall of analogue synths, tight electronic beats and fuzzy electric guitar licks, the sonic pallet offers a lo-fi yet strikingly cinematic, almost nu-wave-esque soundscape. Swirling and growing through its deep sub bass the track soon introduces Emma’s breathy vocals as the track strips down before bursting into life as swelling arpeggiators pan from left to right.
As comparable to Goldfrapp as it is to New Order, the track captures an essence of 80s synth heavy production whilst retaining a fresh post-punk spirit.
Speaking about the new single, Emma Anne Johnson of Emmannuel and The Unlimited Consciousness explains:
“Daydream or nightmare? This song serves as my visceral metaphor for gender dysphoria. I am constantly struggling with the many masks the world expects me to put on. More specifically, gender roles are required of me in order to have a job, be a ‘daughter’ or just be a something someone understands. The journey of the song is symbolic to my relationship with my struggles of how being ‘a woman’ have led me to suicidal tendencies. “No I’m not your beautiful daydream” is my response to all the people in my life who don’t see anything besides the surface.
The end of the song calms down and becomes lighter, introducing hope and possibility for loving myself, even the weeds and the webs and ugly stuff. My sensitivities and oddities that once moved me to anger earlier in the tune, turn into softer, sweeter and more compassionate words. A quote from the writer and philosopher Andre Gilde is the last phrase in the final verse: “To love the Rose, Respect the Thorn.” Maybe I don’t have to be pretty all the time or even constantly hold myself to the standard of being a “woman” at all? Maybe I am a woman one day and the next I am a man and most days I’m just a human? On a primal level, we are all just animals and all have it all- the good the bad and the ugly. No matter what is shown on the outside, we all have struggles.
From finding a stable living situation to finding myself- none of my struggles related to gender have felt justified until the process of creating this song and video: This is an abstracted vision of me conquering my animalistic suicidal tendencies assigned at birth. No I am not your beautiful daydream, I have just as much ugly as anyone else.”
A beguiling and intricate effort, DAYDREAM is out now. Listen below:
