Recommended Tracks: “Fast Forward”, “Breaking Bones”, “Killerlove”
Artists You May Like: TATYANA, Pure Shores, Phoebe Green
Life is a whirlwind, often presenting questions without giving us honest or complete answers. There are times when we will ask about our purpose in life, where to find meaning, how to get through arduous tasks, if circumstances will change. Relationships play a great deal in how we find answers to some of these loaded questions, as various interactions can lead to significant outcomes. On Quantum Dot’s new EP, Random Causalities, the Luxembourg act give us their thoughts on life and relationships, setting these revelations to moody piano ballads, dreamy dance beats, and haunting melodies.
Most of Random Causalities explores the compelling nature of love, with tracks that yearn for it and tracks that are over it. On the pop-sounding “Killerlove,” Quantum Dot welcome love with open arms, vocalist Thorunn Egilsdottir giving us lines like “You can set me on fire / I will burn, but I won’t mind.” There is a heavy, almost toxic desire to these lines, a desire so strong it could kill. It is a desire that can make someone go to extremes, as we hear on “Riverbed Sleep.” On this bittersweet track, we hear of a woman’s determination to find her husband who has gone missing in a forest, hoping to be reunited with him. Her search brings her to a riverbed creek in the end, however, where she determines, “At the bottom of the seabed, you’ll be waiting for me.” Our main characters on “Breaking Bones” and “Clean” wish for such an end to their former lovers, the animosity towards these exes getting the better of them.
The other two tracks on Random Causalities are more about what we get and take from life. On opening track “Fast Forward,” Thorunn sings about skipping ahead when life gets to be too much, singing, “But I fast forward” over a lively soundscape of twinkling piano and dramatic strings. The vibe becomes slightly eerie on “Okay,” the twinkling piano sounds heard on “Fast Forward” morphing into pensive chords. Thoughtfully, Thorunn sings, “Light is dark and dark is light” and “It’s okay / If everything turns to dust / It’s okay / ‘Cause everybody turns to dust,” remembering that it is important to live in the moment on a daily basis.
All in all, Random Causalities is not for the faint of heart. It is a moving listen, each track taking us to places that invoke mystery, intrigue, even peril. Quantum Dot achieve this through fleeting riffs, melodies, and beats, the minimal aspects of such elements paving way for Thorunn’s voice. The When ‘Airy Met Fairy singer ties everything together, her pure and graceful timbre giving the lyrics extra edge. In the end, Random Causalities is a strong return for Quantum Dot, who have refrained from releasing a full body of work since 2016. With this project, the group prove they are still able to make a striking impression with their music after all this time.
You can listen to Random Causalities on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
