Gold Key: The Insignificance of Man
GOLD KEY have just released their second studio album Panic Machine into a world full of fear. Recorded in complete isolation in Wales, the band didn’t realise quite how impactful their prototype self-isolation and subsequent themes of loneliness would be in a world gripped by a pandemic. Led by Steve Sears’ haunting vocal melodies, Panic Machine does exactly what it does on the tin. Fears of loneliness, insignificance and the sheer inevitability of death underpin this entire record, and Panic Machine takes listeners through a journey towards acceptance of how insignificant individual human lives are within the greater expanse of an unknown universe. Sears reinforces this perception, explaining simply that “our brains are not equipped to understand the nature of our existence.”
Upon speaking with Sears he explained what the Panic Machine actually was.“I think it’s really easy to fall into this big process that churns you through life. There’s constant pressure for us to succeed in a machine that never stops. I often feel completely separate from the way the world works and I see it as a big noisy machine.” We are all cogs in this machine, but interestingly the regular turning of the Panic Machine has come to a halt with the entire world locking down.
In a way this record was almost prophetic, after being recorded in the middle of the Welsh countryside with little contact with the outside world those themes of being isolated really came to the forefront. This album resonates so keenly with what people are going through in a completely changed world, with Sears feeling that “there’s no denying that a lot of what people might be going through in their heads right now is reflected somewhat in these songs.”
Interestingly however, despite all live shows cancelled and the events industry being shut down for the foreseeable future, Sears retains that sense of optimism that propels Panic Machine through its darkest elements, saying, “if there’s any positive to come out of this, it’s that a spotlight on talented artists and their music has emerged that hasn’t existed for some time.” The most financially viable element of music since the mainstream adoption of streaming has been the live show, about which “you could say that quality musical output has become way less important than constant touring non-stop to make ends meet. Perhaps now people are discovering art more and the musicians who are truly exceptional at their craft are getting the attention they deserve.”
Indeed while the short-term affects appear to have almost decimated the music industry, Sears feels that, “maybe it’s time for artists and the people who work for them to really figure out what unique thing they have to offer and why it deserves people’s time.” Maybe some more unique musical creations will emerge from the lockdown period and change the face of music forever. The relationship between fans and bands has also been strengthened online through this period, and this may help with the financial side of being a musician, as people are “now more open to supporting artists through different avenues like Patreon.”
This sense of optimism is often overlooked in GOLD KEY’s music in favour of the darkness, but Sears explained that, “no matter how dark my songs get there’s always supposed to be an element of optimism within them.” Because insignificance is not always a negative, “sure we’re a tiny blip in an impossibly vast universe, but maybe that’s a good thing.” All of our problems are relative, and in the large scale of things if you truly look back at them they mean nothing – which is the whole theme of the album according to Sears, who is “struggling to separate myself from this big cycle of man-made worries.”
Inevitability is also a defining theme of the record, which Sears again describes as being part of the Panic Machine, “being chugged through this process like a mechanical ride.” Interestingly enough Sears quotes RADIOHEAD’s iconic Ok Computer record as being the main inspiration for this viewpoint, with the similar themes of technology and modern life. “That album deals with the nineties’ version of high tech modern life – it is very cold, stark and empty feeling, whereas nowadays feels more like a noisy, angry, churning type of landscape to me.” It is certainly interesting to look back at older records perception of contemporary life and how much things have changed in under three decades.
Drawing inspiration from the aforementioned titans alongside MUSE-esque vocals and even some QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE style riffs it is clear that GOLD KEY eschew all limitations in favour of creativity. “I want to dart between so many different things as a musician,” says Sears – and it is this originality that has shaped Panic Machine into the fantastic album it is. Ultimately the band just feel that “we just don’t want to repeat ourselves and can’t stand bands that do. It’s not what any of us got into music for.”
Ultimately, whilst Panic Machine may offer a look into a dark, haunting world of isolation that is eerily familiar to many contemporary listeners, it is those glimpses of hope and optimism that Steve Sears and the rest of GOLD KEY inject into this record that makes it something special. An ability to make one feel optimistic about the impending heat death of the universe is not a common trait, but it is something that this band have managed to do. GOLD KEY just make your worries seem that little less bit urgent in the face of how fantastically vast our universe is.
Panic Machine is out now via Venn Records.
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