Lorn "Inverted" (Iremsu Kul)

 

In a way reminiscent of the frantic thoughts running loose throughout an untamed mind, the melody echoes in my mind without knowing where it leads. It is the type of uncanny that its uncanniness is caused by its resemblance to something familiar, something innate. The piece's structure reminds me of the flights of ideas in a manic mind, which becomes completely unhinged in the second part of the piece. In addition to uncanniness, the rhythm may even lead to paranoia.

The song’s first part prepares the listener to face the feeling of chaos that takes place in the second part. I imagine the piece having two parts, but the correlation of those two parts makes it impossible for me to treat them as two separate entities. The part referred to as the first component of the piece is the first ninety-five seconds. The second part starts at 01:35 and continues until the song ends. Those two parts may not seem to belong together on the surface, but they blend together correspondingly. Thus, I found it necessary to treat the piece as if it had two heterogeneous components mixed together to achieve what I perceive to be the desired effect of disorientation. I thought the piece sounded like a thriller theme song from the 1980s, which also reinforces the uneasiness I feel while listening to it. Through the music, the mind takes the form of an object that mimics the backs and forths of a tidal flow, creating unpredictable waves of emotion. Multiple layers of sound are presented in the piece, which is a similar experience to standing on the beach barefoot, feeling every grain of sand beneath your feet as you feel your skin burning from the sun, but the coolness of water also comforts you. It feels overwhelming to experience everything at once but also emancipating.

From the beginning, the piece's mood and pace are carefully established as blinking waves of beeping sound accompany what I deem to be sounds of a mechanic heartbeat, or bass some might call. The sound of this heartbeat is weak yet omnipresent throughout the first part. Layering on the heartbeat tune, the twirling tune of predictable yet unnerving waves of sound float around for six seconds before introducing the distorted glitching sound, which sounds similar to a keyboard. This dominant and self-repeating sound becomes a constant element throughout the first part of the piece. Even though at that point, the second and third layers of sound distract the listener from the so-called heartbeat sound, its presence sets the tone of the piece with the help of what I refer to as the second layer; the blinking sounds. The piece's immediately anxiety-inducing beginning creates the effect of a caffeine rush stimulating the brain. As I listen to the song, I can not help but surrender as if I had no authority over my body and mind. The intoxicating movements of sound parallel a vicious cycle of free falls. With each echoing grain of sound, I can feel my consciousness spiraling on the edge of a black abyss incessantly, challenging my concept of time. The loops and layers of sound make me feel like time moves too fast and too slow at the same time. It feels like an eternity while coming to an end too quickly. The undeniable influence of the piece on the perception of time and space is similar to the effect of wistful thoughts one takes immense pleasure torturing themselves with. Such as thinking about the past too much to function.

At the end of the first 25 seconds, another distinct sound is audible and added to the piece until the end of the first part. Compared to the heaviness and denseness of the previously mentioned layers, this one stands out like a whistle in the middle of a murmuring crowd at a bar. As the song progresses, the distortion of noises escalates as the buzzy sound gets as loud as what I call the blinking noise and the whistle. From this point on, the manic mind gets more and more disintegrated. The thoughts (layers of sounds) that once were clear start to overlap and disorient the mind. I envision the distorted sound as a metaphor for the deranged reflections getting louder and louder, maiming the capability of reasoning. The faint noise accompanying the distortion reminds me of a passing breeze since, unlike the other noises, it sounds somewhat static. Its place as a supporting role in the piece's structure enables the piece to paralyze the individual throughout this flight of madness. The first part’s end is signaled as the distorted sound gets more conspicuous, and the faint noise gets bolder and bolder. The foregrounding of the beeping sound (or what I refer to as the second layer) turns it into, which I find similar to, a siren sound. With this transition, I imagine the mind alarming the individual of an impending meltdown. Different layers of sound dissolve into distortion for a quick second before the second part starts.

The best word to define the second part of the song is cathartic. The build-up anxiety and tension from the first part turn into clamor as the sound pattern changes to something even more unsteady, and new sounds are added. The feeling of catharsis is provided by the sharp drum noises, which cut through the heavy atmosphere that was previously created. Yet the change of tone does not warrant content. Below the surface of this sharp break, the distorted sounds can still be heard continuously. This part reminds me of a breakdown because even though the purge of emotion brings relief, the thoughts do not slow down, and it is not a clean break from the first part. I believe the last part shows the evolution of mania, not its end. Overall, the structure of “Inverted” invokes the feeling of self-repeating despair in a mind that is alienated from itself.